145 



/^. CONESTOGA COUNCIL, 

V^tp'^ No. 8, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held April 17th, 1865, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted: 

Whereas, In the midst of our rejoicings on account of the 
glorious victories with which Heaven had blessed our arms ; the . 
same spirit that has attempted the life of the nation, has now 
succeeded in assassinating our great and good Chief Magistrate, 
and probably his Secretary of State; Therefore, be it— 

Resolved, That in the death of our late beloved President, one 
of the great good men of the world has fallen, and the nation is 
called upon to mourn the departure of a second Washington. 

Resolved, That we humbly and devoutly pray the Father of all 
mercies to spare the life of Secretary Seward, to this already 
afflicted nation. 

Resolved, That, though the greatest, wisest, and best of men may 
fall in our country's cause, our confidence that Divine Providence 
will spare the life of the nation, and yet make it the light of the 
world, is full and undiminished. 

Resolved, That confiding to the fullest extent in the ability, 
patriotism, and integrity of Andrew Johnson, upon whom the 
Presidential office now devolves, we, with all the loyal men of the 
country, will rally around him, and give his Administration of the 
Government the same cordial and generous support which was 
accorded to that of his lamented predecessor. 

Resolved, That in respect to the memory of the late President 
Lincoln, that the Charter, Councillor, and Vice Councillor's stands 
of this Council, be draped in mourning for the space of ninety days. 

Resolved, That, a committee of three be appointed to carry the 
above resolutions into effect, and that the same be entered on the 
minutes, and published in the daily Evening Express. 
L. C. Eby, ■) 

Harry Dorwart, V Committee. 

L. De W. Breneman. y 

Edwin E. Snyder, C. pro tern. 
L. Be W. Breneman, R, S. 



12 



KENSINGTON COUNCIL, 

No. 9, 0. of U. A. M. 

At ca stated meeting of the above Council, held April 20th, 1865, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God, in his infinite wisdom, 
to remove from our midst, Abraham Lincolx, by the hand of a 
cowardly and dastardly assassin, by which the country has lost an 
efficient Chief Magistrate, a true patriot, who, while trying, by 
kindness and mercy, to win back to their allegiance those in open 
arms against our beloved Union, was stricken down by one of their 
hireling miscreants, thereby shrouding our country in gloom and 
sorrow ; Therefore, be it — 

Resohed, That, being appalled by the magnitude of a crime so 
terrible and fiendish, that the annals of the world present no 
parallel, language fails to express our great sorrow for our nation's 
loss by the death of our noble President, Abraham .Lincoln. 

Resolved, That in the death of our Martyr, the country has lost 
a man who stands second to none, Washingtox being her Saviour, 
and Abraham Lincoln her Redeemer. 

Resolved, That we condole and sympathize with his deeply 
afilicted family, and pray that Providence, in his mercy, may guide 
and protect them through life. 

Resolved, That our Charter and other frames be placed in 
mourning for six months. 

Wm. H. Steel, C. 
Attest, Frank Clouds, R. S. 



13 



INDEPENDENT COUNCIL, 

No. 10, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held May 15th, 1865, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted: 

Whereas, We have learned with profound regret the dastardly 
and traitorous assassination of our beloved Chief Magistrate, 
Abraham Lincoln, at an hour when the nation was rejoicing over 
successive victories, of an early peace, and the hope of a glorious 
future for the Union, and when, after four years of mild and gentle 
governing, he had gained the love and confidence of all true and 
loyal people ; and, whereas, by his death we are deprived of the 
services of a great and good man, who, by his clear judgment, 
simplicity, kindness, patriotism, honesty of purpose, goodness of 
heart, combined with other principles, eminently fitted him to 
administer the affairs of the nation ; and, whereas, the noble 
character of the departed, the many virtues of his public and 
private life, the disinterested devotion manifested by him in all his 
acts to the cause of human freedom and equal rights to all mankind, 
and the sincere and whole souled consecration of himself to the 
mighty task of preserving our glorious Union to us and posterity, 
do well deserve the heartfelt acknowledgement of a grateful people; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we mingle our humble regret with the tears af all 
loyal people throughout our land in this sad stroke of Divine 
dispensation, and bowing as we do to the will of Him who doeth all 
things well, we hope this bereavement may be tempered for our 
national good. 

Resolved, That in our late President we recognize one, whose 
purity of life, exalted patriotism, and integrity of purpose, with a 
heart ever flowing with the milk of human kindness, had won for 
himself the afiections of all true friends of civilization and progress, 
and has secured a place in our hearts equal to that held by the 
Father of his Country ; Washington being the Saviour of our 
Country, and Abraham Lincoln its Redeemer. 



14 

Resolved, That we honor the name of Abraham Lincolx, onr twice 
elected President, and will ever revere it as that of a pure and 
unselfish patriot, a wise and sagacious leader and administrator of 
our country in its weakness and want of preparation for the crisis 
then upon it, and who with nothing but his firm heart and good 
purpose under God to rely upon, by the spirit and power oT his 
' administration, brought the country to a position of strength from 
which we may look with confidence over the entire domain of the 
nation and feel assured that it will soon be reclaimed to Concord, 
Union and Universal Freedom. •• 

Resolved, That we sincerely regret that he was cut oflF ere his 
labors were crowned with complete success, and the country free 
and united, enjoying the blessings of a permanent peace. 

Resolved, That treason, whether armed or unarmed, should be 
punished, and righteous retribution visited thereon, in vindication 
of the dignity, power, and justice of the Government. 

Resolved, That we deem the assassination of Abraham Lixcoln, 
the legitimate fruit of the secession sympathies of disloyal men and 
women in our midst, and we believe the time has come when all 
such base ingrates should be held to a strict accountability for their 
sentiments. 

Resolved, That we will ever cherish his memory with grateful 
and lasting remembrance, having always regarded him as the Father 
of the people, and the true representative of all that was noble and 
manly in the American character, and one of the noblest works of 
God, an honest man. 

Resolved, That we deeply sj^mpathize with the family of our much 
beloved and now deceased President in their afflictioA, prayerfully 
commending them to the great God of all grace and comfprt. 

Resolved, That our Council Chamber be shrouded in mourning 
for the space of six months, and that a copy of the foregoing 
Preamble and Resolutions be transmitted to the State Council, 
and entered upon our minutes. 

Ex. C, Gko. Hartzell, "i 
M. W. Myers, ! Committee. 

^ Ex. C, Chas. D. Conover. ) 



15 



VIGILANT COUNCIL, 

No. 12, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held May 16th, 1865, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted; 

Whereas, The nation has sustained the loss of a Father, in our 
late President, Abraham Lincoln, who sacrificed his life for the love 
of his country and liberty ; and, whereas, the noble character of 
the departed, the many virtues of his public and private life, and 
the sincere devotion he has shown for the preservation of his 
country, that the blessings of a united and prosperous nation 
might be bestowed upon the present and future generations ; 

Therefore, be it — ' 

Resolved, That it is due us as a patriotic American Organization, 
to express our heartfelt sorrow and regret at the sudden demise, 
feeling that we have been deprived of a benefactor and upholder of 
the cause of human liberty. 

Resolved, That by the death of our late and beloved President, 
the country has sustained an irreparable loss ; the nation has lost a 
brilliant star, but whose shadow yet guides the nation in safety in 
the hour of its darkness and gloom. 

Resolved, That the Order, by his untimely death, has been 
deprived of one who should have properly been considered as one of 
its number ; one, who but a few years ago, was humble and 
unknown to the people, and was enabled by the great institutions 
of our country, freedom and protection, the guiding star of the 



16 

Order, the great bulwark against aristocracy, to rise, by his honest 
perseverance and merit, to the first position in the gift of the 
American people. 

Resolved, That the great work of our Order, the advancement of 
our countrymen from the humblest to the highest in the nation, has 
been practically determined and settled. 

Resolved, That the examples taught us by our lamented martyred 
President, are too noble and glorious to be forgotten, and that it is 
our duty to perpetuate his memory in some suitable manner. 

Resolved, That we do most sincerely sympathize with the widow 
and family of the deceased and beloved President in their sudden 
and sad bereavement. 

Resolved, That Andrew Johxson, our noble President, deserves all 
praise and honor for his determination, perseverance and integrity. 
He, like his illustrious predecessor, having raised himself from 
among the rank of his fellow-citizens, and that we welcome him as 
our President, with an assurance of his fidelity, feeling satisfied that 
he has the good of his country at heart, and that he is with us in 
the great cause of our protection. 

Resolved, That a copy of the forgoing preamble and resolutions 
be forwarded to the family of the deceased Patriot. 



Thos. S. Paist, ■) 

David M. Albright, | 
William. H. Michael, }■ Committee, 
Alonzo L. Huggan, J 
WiLLUii R. Sallada. J 



17 



COLUMBIA COUNCIL, 

No. 13, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, held May 19th, 
1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

"Whereas, The Almighty Ruler of the Universe has seen fit, in 
His Providence, to remove Abraham Lincoln, our great and good 
President, from among us, not by a lingering sickness, but by the 
cowardly hand of a black-hearted assassin, whilst in the full flush 
of glory acquired by an honest and patriotic devotion to the cause of 
his country during four years of bloody and causeless rebellion ; 
and, whereas, it becomes us, in common with all true, loyal and 
patriotic associations throughout the length and breadth of our 
land, to give an expression of our detestation and horror of the 
crime, as well as our sympathy to his stricken and bereaved 
family ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That his purity and honest integrity of heart, his 
untiring devotion to the best interests of his country, during the 
past four years of unparalleled and gigantic rebellion, his firm 
determination of pui'pose to hand down the institutions founded by 
our fore-fathers to posterity, intact, undivided, and entire, entitle 
him to the respect and admiration of his own country and the 
civilized world. 

Resolved, That we will ever cherish him in our memories, as the 
first patriot and martyr of his age ; wqrthy to be ranked with the 
illustrious founders of the nation, who, with Washington at their 
head, wrenched these States from the hands of a foreign despot, 
and gave the priceless boon of liberty to a persecuted people ; 
believing, that as Washington was the Father 
Lincoln was the Preserver and Saviour of the Republic. 



18 

Resolved, That in tlie "Honesty, Industry and Sobriety" of liis 
character as a workingman, we feel our lamented President was 
especially dear to us. Sprung from an humble, though respectable 
parentage, he rose, by his indomitable will and unassisted 
perseverance, from the humble calling of railsplitter and boatman, 
to the highest position in the gift of the American people — the peer 
of the most noted statesman of his time, thus illustrating the moral 
dignity of labor, and forming for us as members of the Order of 
United American Mechanics, a worthy and illustrious exemplar. 

Resolved, That this foul and dastardly murder, instigated by 
Southern traitors, should intensify our hatred to treason, and should 
call upon the proper authorities to mete out the utmost penalties of 
the law, to those guilty of the same ; that we will stigmatize any 
and all in our midst who sympathize with them in any way or form, . 
as traitors at heart, unfit to enjoy the blessings of freedom, or to 
possess the proud name of an American Citizen. *' Is there not some 
chosen curse, some hidden thunder in the stores of heaven, red with 
uncommon wrath, to blast the man who owes his own greatness to 
his country's ruin?" 

Resolved, That we tender our sincere and heartfelt sympathy to 
his bereaved widow and children, commending them to Him who 
"tempers the wind to the shorn lamb," and praying that He will 
alleviate their anguish, and give them consolation from on high. 

Resolved, That in order to show our appreciation of his memory, 
our Council Chamber be draped in mourning for the period of 

six months. 

W. H. Heldebrandt, 'I 

J. W. Weaver, ' > Committee. 

Wm. M. Shultz. } 

J. R. Bercaw, (7. 
T. F. Hamman, R. S. 



19 



HAND-IN-HAND COUNCIL, 

No. 14, 0. of U. A. M. 

" HONOR THE MIGHTY DEAD." " OUR loss is His eternal gain." 
At a meeting of Hand-in-Hand Council, No. 14, Order of United 
American Mechanics, held on Monday Evening, May 1st, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted: 

Whereas, In the Providence of Grod, Abraham Lincoljj-, President 
of the United States, has been removed from us by death, and that 
death caused by the hand of the midnight assassin, we, with all 
loyal people everywhere, mourn his loss. But, while we mourn, let 
us remember, that, though dead, he yet liveth ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That the tremendous blow which has fallen on the nation 
fills our hearts with dismay ; and a crime for which our country has 
no name, and which startles every citizen with its magnitude and 
atrocity, has been committed ; tending to loosen the bonds of society 
and abolish individual safety. 

Resolved, That, while we feel our hearts stricken with profound 
sorrow, we rest in confident assurance that God doeth all things 
well, and will still have our beloved country in His holy keeping, 
and so order this appalling calamity, that new born generations will 
see His goodness even in the terrible event which he, for wise but 
inscrutable purposes, has suffered to befall our nation. 

Resolved, Tha^ we recognize in this atrocious deed the refined 
fruits of the vile spirit of the rebellion, and heartily express our 
hope that the Government will see to it, that the full measure of a 
righteous retribution be meted out to the instigators and accomplices 
of this deed of blood. 



20 

Resolved, That we greatly sympathize with the family of our much 
beloved and now deceased President in their deep affliction, 
prayerfully commending them to the God of all grace and comfort. 

Resolved, Likewise, That we greatly sympathize with "William 
H. Seward, Secretary of State, whose life has been so marvelously 
preserved from the strokes of the assassin, and humbly trust in the 
great Ruler of the Universe that he may be fully restored to health 
and to his country, which he has served with such pre-eminent 
ability. 

Resolved, That, by our prayers and influence as citizens loyal to 
the Government, we will sustain our new President, Andrew 
Johnson, so unexpectedly called to discharge the duties of his high 
office in the solemn crisis which our country is now passing through, 
humbly depending upon God that every vestige of this cursed 
rebellion may soon be blotted out of existence, and peace and 
prosperity once again crown our beloved country. 

E. H. McKee, ■) 

Gilbert Carns, V Committee, 

g. h. hoffner, ) 

Frederick Toms, (7. 
Chas. Widdis, R. S. 



21 



FAME COUNCIL, 

No. 15, 0. U. A. M. 

"We mourn for a leader, a ruler gone, 

The nation's liope and glory, 
A chosen guide from his people torn, 

The honored in fame's proud storj. 

At a regular stated meeting of Fame Council, No. 15, 0. of 
U. A. M., the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

"VVnEREAS, This Council has heard with profound sorrow of the 
dastardly assassination of our worthy and beloved Chief Magistrate, 
Abraham Li^^coLiSr ; and, whereas, we desire, as it becomes us, in 
common with our fellow- citizens, to give public expression to our 
feelings on an occasion, when, in the midst of joy as a loyal people, 
at the downfall of a wicked rebellion, and the prospect of a speedy 
peace, the whole nation finds itself plunged in unutterable gloom 
and sadness ; and, whereas. We desire to express our utter 
abhorrence of the barbarous act which has deprived our country, in 
the midst of rejoicing, of its able leader and honored President, in 
whom we recognized ''One of the noblest works of God," an 
honest man ; Therefore, be it — 

Besolved, That in the death of Abraham Lixcoln, the American 
people are called upon to mourn the loss of an illustrious citizen, 
whose private virtues and public acts will remain for all time 
9,ssociated with those of the immortal Washingtox. 

Resolved, That we mingle our sympathies and our sorrows with 
those of the people generally, in view of this bereavement, and 
express a deep sense of our individual and national loss in the 
removal from the Presidential chair, of him who was a friend to the 



• 22 

poor and enslaved, a strong advocate and defender of national unity, 
a generous and noble man, an enlightened statesman and Christian 
patriot ; whose memory we tenderly cherish, whose virtues we would 
imitate and commend, whose political course we heartily endorse 
as free from selfishness, marked with high integrity, and calculated 
to work out for the nation complete liberty and ultimate greatness. 

Resolved, That while we unite our lamentations with the mourning 
wail of the nation, we do at the same time pledge ourselves anew to 
the service and the support of the Government whose Chief has thus, 
in a moment, been stricken down by the assassin. 

Resolved, That while we mourn for the bereavement which death 
produces, and we see j3ur cherished joys blasted and our beloved 
Chief laid low in the dust, we are instructed to look beyond the 
bounds of mortality to a period when the dead shall be raised to 
life, and friends shall meet to part no more forever. 

Resolved, That we sympathize and condole with his afflicted 
family, and pray that Providence in His mercy may guide and 
protect them through life. 

B. GiFFORD, "^ 

H. B, Walter, | ^ .,, 

c, T TT7 f- Committee. 

S. J. Walker, | 

Henry J. Kehr, J 

H. B. Walter, C. 
Attest, Samuel J. Walker, R. S. 



23 



EAGLE COUNCL, 

No. 19, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held Friday Evening, 
May 5th, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were 
unanimously adopted: 

Whereas, Our beloved Chief Magistrate, Abraham Lincoln, has 
fallen by the hand of a murderous assassin, the undoubted instrument 
of a cold blooded conspiracy, which had for its object the deluging 
anew our land with blood, the changing of our joy into mourning, 
by striking down in the hour of our triumph, the noblest and best 
in the land ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That in this villainous deed, which has been planned 
and followed up to its consummation, with all the malignity of the 
arch fiend himself, we recognize the spirit of that vilest of all curses, 
Slavery, guided and directed by its equally vile offspring. Treason. 

Resolved, That traitors, North and South, should be made to realize 
that the cowardly and fiendish spirit which prompted the assassination 
of Abraham Lincoln, our noblest patriot, and most worthy defender 
of universal liberty, has ruthlessly struck down the forgiving hand, 
that was ready and waiting to pardon all their deeds of blood and 
cruelty, and to save them from the ignominious fate they so justly 
merited ; but having, by this cruel and unpardonable act, forfeited all 
claims to the mercy of an injured and outraged people. 

. Resolved, That even those who seemed to think, during his life, 
that language could scarcely express their hatred and contempt, 
pretend to join in regrets for his death ; they were slanderers while 
he lived, or they are hypocrites now that Ije is dead. The nation 



24 

wants not their sympathy. Abraham Lincoln is embalmed in^the 
hearts of our loyal j^eople ; his virtues and his deeds are monuments 
more durable than marble or bronze, and they have assigned him 
a place in the annals of the country equal to that held by the Father 
of his Country. 

Resolved, That we tender to the bereaved widow and family of our 
late Chief Magistrate, the assurance of our heartfelt sympathy and 
condolence, under this most alflicting dispensation of Divine 
Providence. 

Resolved, That out of respect to the memory of our murdered 
Chief, the Charter and other property of the Council be draped in 
mourning for the space of ninety days. 



Henry H. Haynes, 
John A. Hughes, 
John P. Sipler, 
Herman Wischman, 



Committee. 



Henry H. Diehl, C. 
John F. Baches, JR. S. 



25 



ELM TREE COUNCIL, 

No. 26, 0. U. A. M. 

At a meeting of the above Council, held Tuesday Evening, April 
18th, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, In the midst of a season when our hearts were filled 
with joy at the prospects of a speedy peace, it has seemed well to 
the mighty Ruler of the earth to allow the foul hand of the assassin 
to strike the life from'the head of the nation; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we deeply deplore the loss of him who has with 
wonderful ability brought us safely thus far through a season of 
peril, such as the country has never before experienced 

Resolved, That in the death of Abraham Lincoln, the world has 
lost a bright Christian character, a man of deep thought, and of 
a modest and unassuming disposition ; one who, in the midst of 
temptation, lived a life of remarkable purity and honesty. 

Resolved, That as a statesman and patriot he should stand first 
in the hearts of his countrymen through all time. 

Resolved, That we feel no sympathy for those who willingly 
sacrifice principle, and are ready to grasp the hands already red 
with the blood of the noblest sons of our land, and who have been 
making desolate many hitherto happy homes, and seeking to destroy 
the best Government with which the earth has ever been blessed. 

Resolved, That we recognize in the foul murder another offspring 
of the monster slavery, and feel that while a vestige of its twin, 
prejudice, remains, the country is liable to be startled at any 



20 

moment, with news of deeds sucli as could only be planned and 
executed hy Satan's emisaries. 

Resolved, That we have now new cause for a vigorous execution 
of justice to the leaders of the rebellion, and we hope that the 
nation will extend to our new President, Andrew Johnson, its 
undivided support in his just policy. 

Resolved, That we extend our most earnest and heartfelt sympathy 
to the family and members of the Cabinet of our deceased President, 
and while we deeply mourn his untimely loss, we can but feel it is 
in accordance with the will of Him who doeth all things well, though 
the way to us may seem dark and dreary. 

Resolved, That our Council Chamber be draped in mourning 
for the space of six months. 

Jacob Creamer, ^ 

Jacob Tees, | 

William R. Gardy, i Committee. 

James R. Dycii, j 

Jno. B. Luffberry. J 

Jacob Creamer, C. 

Attest, Wm. R. Gardy, R. S. 



27 



WAYNE COUNCIL, 

No. 27, 0. U. A. M. 

At a meeting of the above Council, held Saturday Evening, May 
20th, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, Abraham Lincoln, the Saviour of the Republic, has 
been stricken down by one, who embodied the spirit of the most 
causeless and wicked rebellion that ever occurred in the history of 
the world, but which has been efiectually crushed out, in spite of 
Southern thugs and Northern copperheads. We regard this stealthy 
and cowardly murder, as the last venomous sting of the dying 
scorpion ; and its majestic victim, as the noblest martyr of all the 
heroic and sanctified hosts who have cheerfully offered up their lives 
for the salvation of their imperiled country ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while his tragic death, by a traitor hireling of 
Jefferson Davis, moves our hearts with the deepest anguish and 
indignation, and we deplore the loss of so great a President, especially 
at this crisis, as a heartfelt public calamity, we are thankful that he 
was spared whilst steering the Ship of State over a sea of blood and 
fire until lie moored her in the long sought harbor of a permanent 
peace, and his partizan revilers, the instigators of his assassination, 
were confounded by the success of his wise efforts to restore a 
sundered Union, and constrained to unite with the loyal, in the 
cry of lamentation and woe for his untimely end. 

Resolved, That inasmuch as he died for truth, he died not for the 
country, but for the world, and that his death but convinces us that 
every step of progress the world has made, has been from stake to 
stake, and from scaffold to scaffold ; and, that one day a temple of 



28 

eternal truth will raise itself in tlie total majesty of its proportions, 
and will stand in monumental granite, and every pillar on wliich it 
rests will be fixed in the grave of a martyr. 

Resolved, That Abraha^i Lincoln deserves to stand foremost 
among the great of all ages, a man ; take him all in all, we shall 
not look upon his like again ; a republican who gave his blood for 
liberty, a Christian martyr who offered up his spirit in faith. 

Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the family of our 
much beloved but now deceased President in their affliction, and 
prayerfully commend them to the God of all grace and comfort. 

Resolved, That in Andrew Johnson, now President of the United 
States, we discover a tried friend of" the Union, an uncompromising 
foe of disloyalty and treason, and that to him shall be transferred 
our support, our confidence, and our prayers. 

Resolved, That the property of this Council be draped in 
mourning for the space of ninety days, in memory of the deceased. 

Mahlon Gr. Bailey, 1 
Fked'k. B. Shunk, I 



C. R. Williams, \ Committee. 
Henry Haas, I 

Zenas Boyer, J 

Ed. Black, (7. 
Attest, Fred'k. B. Shunk, R. S. 



29 

NORTHERN LIBERTY COUNCIL, 

No. 28, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of tlie above Council, tlie following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adoj)ted: 

Whereas, The traitorous assassination of tlie President of the 
United States has overwhelmed the nation with consternation, and 
suddenly transformed its rejoicings over its successes into the deepest 
mourning and lamentation ; and, whereas, the assassination of his 
Excellency, Abraham Lincoln, was timed for the evening of the day 
upon which the nation's Flag w^is re-raised upon Fort Sumpter; 
and, whereas, this act of assassination was the crowning infamy of the 
rebellion ; Therefore, be it — • 

Resolved, That in the death of Abraham Lincoln, the American 
people are called upon to mourn the loss of an illustrious citizen, 
whose private virtues, and public acts, will remain for all time 
associated with those of the immortal Washington. 

Resolved, That, believing Abraham Lincoln, as a ruler, to have 
been governed by patriotic motives, honesty of purpose, and an 
elevated appreciation of the grave and responsible duties imposed 
upon him in the greatest crisis of our country's history, commanding 
in so great a degree the confidence of the loyal people of the nation, 
and exhibiting in the recent events which had culminated in the 
downfall of the rebellion, a wise, forbearing, and magnanimous 
statesmanship, the exercise of which gave sitcli hopeful promise of 
a speedy and perfect restoration of the national Union, in the spirit 
and on the principles upon which it was founded, we regard his sad ■, 
and untimely decease as a great misfortune to the whole country. 



Wm. F. Eckhardt, 'I 

E. G. Clark, v Committee. 

J. B. WiEGNER. 3 

Geo. W. Moothart, C. 



Attest, Wm. Feasteb, R. S. 



30 

TAYLOR COUNCIL, 

No. 20, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a meeting of the above Council, held May 24th, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whkreas, Abraham Lincoln, known and honored throughout 
the earth by all friends of constitutional freedom and republican 
government, was assassinated whilst he occupied the proud position 
of President of our nation, to which office he had been twice elected 
by the grateful suffrages of the free people of the United States ; 

Therefore,- be it — 

Resolved, That by his death the nation is an orphan. 

Resolved, That the profound sorrow and universal grief whiclt 
pervade the land will perpetuate the memory of the eventful career 
through which he served his country as chief ruler, down to the 
hist syllable of recorded time. 

Resolved, That though it is natural for his widow and children to 
smart with keen anguish of soul at this terrible stroke upon their 
honored household, and we deeply sympathize and condole with 
them in all their untold affliction and bereavement, yet we know 
that the blow has fallen with equal weight on the awe-stricken people 
of the laud, who will cherisli his memory forever, and claim his name- 
"As one of the few, the immortal names 
That were not born to die. " 

Resolved, That as the loss of Abraham Lincoln is irreparable, we 
only submit to it because by the decrees of Heaven it is not in our 
power to reverse tlie infamous consummation of the wicked conspiracy 
by which he was sacrificed, and his Prime Minister brutally assaulted, 
and the Republic draped in mourning. 

Resolved, That we invoke the blessing of Heaven upon his successor, 
Andrew Johnson, now President of the United States, that he may 
liave power to restore peace to our distracted land, and with wisdom 
and holy firmness avenge the murder of the great and good patriot, 
whose blood baptizes the nation anew to the principles of Right, 
Justice and Liberty established by Washington, overthrown by 
tyrants and traitors, and redeemed and perpetuated by Abraham 
Lincoln. 

Geo. N. Corson, ^ 

Thomas J. Reiff, > Committee. 

Ben J. W. Davis. ) 



31 



MAJOR RINGGOLD COUNCIL, 

No. 32, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, Our worthy Chief Magistrate Abraham Lincoln, 
President of the United States, has been assassinated by traitors and 
conspirators, whilst engaged in restoring peace to the country; and, 
whereas, it becomes the duty of all good and loyal Americans to 
express their indignation against all such acts of violence to the 
constituted authorities of the land ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while we bow submissively to the will of Divine 
Providence, we deplore and sympathize with all good and loyal 
Americans in the loss that has befallen the nation at this critical 
time, of one who has shown himself capable of guiding the Ship of 
State through her darkest hours of adversity, and bring her to a 
haven of peace and security. 

Resolved, That while we will ever bear in remembrance his wisdom 
in council, his sympathy with suii'ering, and his forgiveness of his 
enemies, we must ever adore the goodness and grace of the great 
Architect of the Universe, who raised him up and having qualified 
him for his work, lent him to the country in its darkest hour and 
greatest peril. 

Resolved, That we stigmatize as wretches and traitors at heart 
and unworthy to enjoy the blessings of free government, any in our 
midst who could tolei'ate so foul a deed as that which deprived the 
United States of its President, and made tlie name of Abraham 
Lincoln fragrant as that of a martyr and a second Washington, to 
all coming generations. 

Charles A. Mitsh, "i 

Samuel Steinmetz, > Committee. 

E. H. Barnitt. y 

David H. Wolfe, C. 
Attest, Samuel Steinmetz, R. /S, 



32 

OSCEOLA COUNCIL, 

No. 34, 0. of U. A. M. 
At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, This Council has heard of the death of our Chief 
Magistrate, the President of the United States, who was stricken 
down by the hand of a cowardly assassin ; and as a testimonial of 
regard and respect which the American Mechanics have towards him 
and the Union ; It is hereby — 

Resolved, That we drape the hall in mourning, and wear crape on 
the left arm at our meetings, for the space of thirty days. 

Henky W. Moyer, C. 
Attest, Fkanklin Whitman, R. S. 

PULTON COUNCIL, 

No. 35, 0. of U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously a,dopted: 

Whekeas, We have heard with deep sorrow and regret that the 
President of the United States was, on Friday evening, the 14th 
inst., brutally assassinated in his private box at Ford's Theatre, by 
the foul-hearted villain, Jolm Wilkes Booth; and, whereas, at about 
the same time, a murderous attack was made on the Secretary of 
State, by an unknown fiend, who is supposed to be an accomplice of 
Booth; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That the members of Fulton Council, No. 35, 0. U. A. 
M., feel it a duty to themselves and their common country to condemn 
such unmitigated and unparalleled crimes in this, our free country. 

Resolved, That in the loss of Abraham LI^■coLN, President of the 
United States, our country has lost a great and good man; and, that 
as a mark of respect to our late and worthy President, we drape our 
charter in mourning for the period of sixty days. 

Resolved, That we agree with our present President to visit 
condign punishment upon all traitors. 

Samuel Kline, C. 

Attest, Thomas W. Axderson, R. S. 



33 



DECATUR COUNCIL, 

No. 36, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of tlie above Council, tlie following 
Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, We have heard Csince our last meeting) of the death, 
of our esteemed and beloved Chief Magistrate, Abkaham Lincoln, 
by the hand of an assassin, causing sorrow to all loyal hearts, 
amidst the rejoicings for national victories, and it becomes us as 
Americans, to express our feelings in reference to this great national 
calamity ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while we bow with submission to the will of an 
inscrutable Providence, believing he has suffered this affliction to 
occur for our good, as a nation, yet we humbly pray for his sustaining 
power not only for the nation, but for the widow and children of our 
deceased President in this hour of deep affliction and sorrow. 

Resolved, That we trust that the perpetrator of this foul deed, 
and his accomplices, having in view the murder of those having the 
affairs of the nation in charge, may be brought to a speedy and 
deserved punishment for their crimes. 

Resolved, That in Abraham Lincoln, we recognize "an honest 
man, the noblest work of God;" his blameless life and pure patriotism 
has enshrined him in our hearts, and won for him our love and 
lasting affection. 

Resolved, That as we regard Washington as the Father of his 
Country, so do we hail the "illustrious Lincoln" as the "defender 
and preserver of the country. ' ' 



34 

Resolved, That we view in liim our political Moses, wlio, having 
safely brought us by his statesmanship through periods of eminent 
peril, died on the borders of our promised land of freedom, and we 
beseech the protection, support, and guidance of Almighty God 
for his successor, Andrew Johnsox, and pray that in him we may 
find a Joshua who shall lead and direct us to a full occupancy of the 
land twice consecrated by the blood of fi-eemen to the cause of 
liberty, and we would adopt for him, our country, and ourselves, the 
words of our late Chief Magistrate : " Having thus chosen our cause 
without guile, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without 
fear and with manly hearts." 

Resolved, That in memory of our late President, and as a mark 
of respect for the illustrious dead, the above resolutions be entered 
upon the journal, and our charter be placed in mourning until the 
first anniversary of his lamentable death, which will be April the 
15th, 1866. 



Wm. M. 'Weckeklt, "J 

Wm. a. Piper, V Committee. 

Amos Briggs S 



V. T. Weckerlt. C. 
Attest, Geo. S. Sasman, R. S, 



35 



SPRING GAUDEN COUNCIL, 

No. 38, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of Spring Garden Council, No. 38, 
0. of U. A. M., held at their hall, Fourth and George Streets, 
April 25, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were 
unanimously adopted : 

Whekeas, Our nation has been overwhelmed with grief at the 
sudden demise of our Chief, Abraham Lincoln, President of the 
United States ; a noble, generous, and Christian patriot, whose 
firm devotion to his country, her Constitution and her Union, has 
challenged the world for a superior ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That Spring Garden Council, No. 38, 0. U. A. M., in 
common with our fellow-citizens, do mourn the sad calamity that 
lias befallen our noble and distinguished President, Abraham 
Lincoln, who fell by the hand of a cowardly assassin, a martyr to 
the cause of freedom and human liberty, on the 14th day of April, 
1865 ; and while we deplore his loss, we will ever cherish in our 
hearts his many great and noble virtues, and will revere his memory 
as the liberator of the oppressed. 

Resolved, That we drape our charter and emblems in mourning 
for ninety days, and that a copy of this preamble and resolutions 
be published in the morning Inquirer. 

M. Z. Senderling, "^ 

Thomas M. Locke, > Committee. 



Attest, Wm. H. Flotd, R. S. 



John M. Stocker, y 

Isaac Evekly, C. 



36 



SCIENCE COUNCIL, 

No. 39, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held April 18, 18G5, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adoxited : 

Whereas, A great national calamity has befallen our country, 
through the deliberate murder, by a dastardly assassin, of Abraham 
Lincoln, Chief Magistrate of the United States, in whom the country 
has lost a bright Christian example, a pure patriot and an efficient 
executive officer; and in whom we recognised "one of the noblest 
works of God, an honest man ; ' ' Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we do hereby express our utter abhorrence of the 
fiendish and barbarous act which has deprived us, in the midst of 
rejoicing, of an able leader and an honored President. 

Resolved, That we believe, that his blood with that of thousands 
more of our countrymen who have been murdered by wicked and 
ambitious men striving to overthrow the best Government which 
has ever blessed the earth, calls for the execution of inexorable 
justice to all the leaders of this foul rebellion. 

Resolved, That we have no sympathy with those who are ready to 
receive with open arms leading traitors ; and who style their 
dark deeds of treason, murder, and perjury, acts of patriotism, 
magnanimity, and pureness of purpose. 

Resolved, That we do give our earnest support to the present 
National Executive, Andrew Johnson, who has been thus suddenly 
called upon to assume the responsibilities of the office. 



37 

Resolved, That in common with every loyal citizen of the United 
States, we do sincerely mourn his loss, and tender our heartfelt 
sympathy to the family and members of the Cabinet of our late 
Chief Magistrate. 

Resolved, That as a mark of respect to his memory, the Trustees 
of this Council are hereby instructed to have our Council Chamber 
appropriately draped in mourning for the space of six months, and 
that this Council as a body take part with our fellow-citizens in the 
"funeral obsequies, as recommended by the municipal authorities. 



Amor S. Redstreake, 

James M. Nesmith, 

Joseph H. Weston, [ Committee, 

Paul A. Libb, 

George L. Simpson, 



James H. Mearns, Q. 
A. S. Redstreake, R, S, 



38 

RELIANCE COUNCIL, 

No. 40, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following- 
Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adoj>ted : 

Whereas, The nation has been deprived of its honored Chief 
Magistrate, Abraham Lincoln, bv the hand of an assassin, nerved 
to the infernal deed by traitors who designed that the Government 
also should cease to exist, at a moment when by the magnanimity 
of his leniency toward them he called forth their siirprise ; when he 
was about witnessing the successful issue of his and his country's 
eflbrts to suppress a wicked and causeless rebellion, and when his 
heart so full of kindness, even for his enemies, throbbing joyously 
with the prospect of peace and united happiness, at such a time he 
fell, overwhelming the nation with lamentation and mourning ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That the members of this Council deem it a high duty 
to express their abhorrence of the fiendish act that deprived him of 
life, and their detestation of those who in any manner were accessory 
to it. 

Resolved, That the ft/oocZ o/"^/<e sZain calls for the sternest justice 
to be executed upon the leaders of this accursed rebellion. 

Resolved, That as a ruler, his kindness of heart and firmness of 
character, conjoined with his great abilities, render his loss such 
that fills our hearts with unafi'ected sadness. 

Resolved, That we will earnestly support those who are left to 
administer the Government, praying that they may imitate the 
steady purpose and constant policy of the lamented deceased, that 
ere long we may again become a united peox^le, and enjoy the 
blessings of peace, prosperity, and happiness. 

I. L. ElSENBREY, "^ 

W. U. Butcher, V Committee. 
A. L. Dewees. 5 

J. F. Teodt, C. 
Attest, W. U. Butcher, R. S. 



39 



DILIGENT COUNCIL, 

No. 42, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : ^ 

Whereas, The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, President of 
the United States, at the Capitol, and the murderous assault upon 
the Secretary of State, while lying disabled at his home, by 
emisaries of the slave power of the South, has overwhelmed the 
nation with anguish and filled all loyal hearts with indignation and 
sorrow, in that which should have been throughout the Union the 
hour of congratulation and joy ; and, whereas, for the space of four 
years, traitors in arms have warred against the Government of the 
United States, and have bathed their hands in the best blood of the 
nation ; and upon the evening of the day on which conquered and 
humiliated, they were compelled to witness the restoration of the 
old flag to its legitimate place upon the battlements of Fort Sumpter, 
the herald of freedom to a land redeemed, their hired assassins 
crow^ned the infamy of the rebellion, by stealing upon the secure 
moments of the revered heads of the nation, and by the perpetration 
of a crime without a name, effected that from the contemplation of 
which humanity turns with mourning and execration ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, By Diligent Council, No. 42, 0. of U. A. M., That the 
sad event which deprived our country of its Chief Magistrate, and 
threw a nation into tears, is far removed from all party relations 
and affinities, and is of a kind to call upon the Council for an 
expression of sympathy with all who mourn the death of President 
Lincoln, as a national calamity, and with all who regard his death 
as a national dishonor. 

Resolved, That the virtues of "Honesty, Industry and Sobriety," 
which mark the character of Abraham Lincoln, as a man, endears 
his memory, and fully justifies all our regret, that the cardinal 
virtues which constitute the basis of our Order, should have lost an 
exponent so illustrious in his position and beneficial in his practice. 



40 

Resolved, That the private virtues and genial disposition of Mr. 
Lincoln manifested themselves in his public acts, and that the 
beauty of his domestic life and the gentleness of his social bearings 
were consistent with the humanity and charity of his official life, 
and the grief which the nation now indulges in, and in which the 
Council participates, is for a good and faithful man, whose only 
desire seemed to be to restore to the nation, peace and prosperity. 

Resolved, That we heartily commend to God the wife that is 
widowed, and the children that are orphaned by this sad calamity, 
and with the same devout reliance on our Heavenly Father, we 
commend to His holy care the nation that was widowed by the 
ruthless hand of the assassin, and we beseech him to govern, direct, 
and bless this Rei^ublic. 

Resolved, That the time has now fully arrived, when the nation 
must look on treason, wherever it exists, as a crime, and as such 
be denounced and punished; that justice, strict and inexorable, 
shall exert its power and the laws, and the Government be 
maintained with the dignity and propriety becoming a united, 
sovereign, and free people. 

Resolved, That while as a people we ask not for vengeance against 
the vanquished, Ave deserve protection from any similar attempt in 
the future, and hereby call upon his Excellency, Andrew Johnson, 
President of the United States, to administer those laws against 
traitors which will give to loynl men and loyal women, their fullest 
rights, and mete out to traitors, of whatever class or condition, their 
justly deserved reward. 

Resolved, That we endorse the principle enunciated by our present 
respected Chief Magistrate, that mercy toward the rebels is injustice 
to the nation, an insult to the heroes who have laid down their lives 
in defence of their country, and an act of gross inhumanity toward 
the thousands of our sons and brotliers, who, half starved in rebel 
prisons, and to the support of his administration we hereby pledge 
our full and undivided support. 

Resolved, That as a further token of respect and honor for our 
late lamented President, the charter frame of this Council be 
draped in mourning for the space of six months. 

Francis G. Lupton, ) 
A. EcKHART, C. F. D. RoMiG, V Committee. 

J. Myers, R. S, Wji. New. ) 



'^ 41 

PHILADELPHIA COUNCIL, 

No. 43, 0, U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, We liave heard with unfeigned sorrow of the deliberate 
assassination of that great and good man, Abraham Lincoln, late 
Chief Magistrate of our country, who has been murdered in a 
cowardly and brutal manner by those whom he always treated 
with kindness and pity, and who have by this means deprived 
themselves of their best friend ; Therefore, be it— 

Resolved, That in the death of Abraham Lincoln, our country 
has lost a true friend to liberty and her free institutions ; a Christian 
and patriot possessed of those cardinal virtues which we, as United 
American Mechanics, so highly esteem, viz: "Honesty, Industry, 
and Sobriety.' 

Resolved, That we view with unutterable horror and detestation 
the fiendish and brutal act, which in the midst of rejoicing, has 
deprived our country of so able a leader and efficient executive 
officer. 

Resolved, That we believe this great crime, with innumerable 
other dark deeds, committed and sanctioned by the enemies of our 
Government, call for the execution of inexorable justice upon all the 
leading and responsible men engaged in this foul rebellion, whether 
at home or abroad. 

Ref;olved, That we loathe and detest those in our midst who 
sympathize with treason, and look upon them as worse than traitors 
in open arms against the Government. 

Resolved, That we hereby tender our heartfelt sympathy to the 
family and members of the Cabinet of our late Chief Magistrate. 

Resolved, That we give our undivided support to his successor, 
Andrew Johnson, who has been thus suddenly called upon to 
assume the responsibilities of the high office. 

John S. Hemphill, 1 
Jacob Engelman, > Committee. 
Paul Banxen, R. S. James Devereux. ) 



42 



MOUNT VERNON COUNCIL, 

No. 44, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held April 20, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, It has pleased an all-wise Providence to remove from 
our midst, by death, our noble, patriotic, and beloved President, 
Abraham Lincoln, who was cowardly stricken down by the hand 
of an assassin, at a time when peace was about to be proclaimed 
throughout the land ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while we bow in humble submission to the will of 
Him, who doeth all things well, we cannot but feel the loss, this 
our beloved country has sustained, in the death of so noble and 
magnanimous a statesman in this, the hour of victory. 

Resolved, That we tender to his bereaved family, in this, their 
hour of affliction, our sincere and heartfelt sympathy, and 
rt^commend them to the guiding hand and protecting power of Him 
whom it has pleased in His infinite mercy and wisdom, to remove 
from their midst, a fond husband, a loving father, and a zealous 
patriot. ^ 

. Resolved, As a token of respect to the memory of our lamented 
President, Abraham Lincoln, that the charter, roll, regalia, and 
other property of Mt. Vernon Council, No, 44, 0. U. A. M., be 
draped in mournicg for the space of sixty (GO) days, and that each 
mf-mber of the.Council be requested to wear a suitable badge of 
mourning for the same period, and tliat a committee of five be 
appointed to carry the foregoing resolutions into effect. 

Frank Ayres, 

Geo. W. Whidden, 

Chas. H. Sawyer, \ Committee, 

Thos. H. Pickering, I 

Alfred Tyler. J 



'■I 



Franklin Ayres, (7. 
Attest, James W. Rrret>tng. R. S. 



43 



BADIANT STAR COUNCIL, 

No. 45, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, lield April 25, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, The Chief Magistrate of the nation, and twice chosen 
representative of the American people, Abraham Lincoln, has 
fallen by the hand of a wretched and fiendish assassin ; struck down 
in the presence of his family, and in the hour of the nation's 
rejoicing at the triumph over armed treason; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while Ave in common with our fellow-citizens 
mourn and deplore the sad calamity that has overtaken us, we feel 
at a loss for words to adequately express our detestation and 
abhorrence of a crime so enormous and unparalleled. 

Resolved, That .while we are amazed at the deep-dyed depravity 
that could prompt such an act, we well know it cannot retard the 
work of human progress ; but on the contrary will recoil with treble 
force on its perpetrators and abettors whoever or wherever they 
may be. 

Ye foes to freedom and to human rights. 
Go, stop the sun, reverse all nature's laws, 

Turn from their course the swift meandering lights ; 
Arrest the progress, then, of Freedom's cause. 

Resolved, That after years of hardship and industrious toil from 
his youth up, ("in * which we behold the personification of the 
American working man, J) and of care and anxiety in his high 
position, far beyond the common lot of rulers ; although he was by 



44 

malignaut liate, and Mind and aimless revenge, cut ofF from that 
repose from labor so justly his due; it is a satisfaction to know 
that he lived to see the virtual triumph of the Union cause, to 
■o-hich he had so unwaveringly and unflinchingly adhered. 

Resolved, That in our lamented and honored late Chief Magistrate, 
we recognize those traits of public and private virtue which shall 
ever command our respect and veneration for his memory ; and in 
God we trust, that He will have us as a nation in His keeping, 
overrule this event for our good, and administer consolation to 
the stricken widow and her children. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect for the memory of 
the mighty dead, our flag and charter be draped in mourning for tho 
space of six months. 



Jas. N. Calelt, 
W. M. B. Ball, 
A. H. COXWAY, 
H. F. Johnson, 
E. L. Calely, Jr. _, 



Committee. 



Attest, Wm. Wood, R. S. 



J. W. Stout, C. 



45 



READING COUNCIL, 

No. 46, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of tlie above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, At a time when the heart of the nation was made glad, 
and the loyal citizens thereof were rejoicing over our victories, 
gained by our gallant soldiers upon the field of battle, when hope 
Hashed through the minds of all, of a speedy and honorable peace ; 
we were struck dumb with grief and indignation, when the mournful 
tidings were heralded throughout the land, that our beloved, noble, 
patriotic, and God-sent President, Abraham Lincoln, had been 
assassinated by an infamous and dastard traitor ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we drape our hall in mourning for the space of 
four years. 

Resolved, That we deeply and sincerely deplore and sympathize 
with all good and loyal citizens in the loss that has befallen the 
nation, of our purest and best friend ; one who has shown himself 
capable of guiding the Ship of State through the storms of her 
adversity, and bringing her in safety to a haven of peace and 
security. 

Resolved, That in our estimation, as a national man, Abraham 
Lincoln, stands second to no other of his day and generation, and 
we believe equal in worth and purity, to the fathers of our country — 
the immortal Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson. 

Resolved, That we sincerely sympathize with the bereaved family, 
and pray that they may receive heavenly consolation. 

Resolved, That the above be sent to the State Council Secretary 
for publication, as ordered at the last meeting in Lancaster City, 

Dr. D. Gr. SCHOENEE, 1 

Amos Huyett, > Committee. 

Howard Benson. j 



46 

RELIEF COUNCIL, 

No. 47, 0. IJ. A. M, 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held May 17, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimouslj adopted: 

Whereas, The members of this Council have been stricken with 
profound grief and awe at the sudden death by the hand of a 
bloodthirsty and parricidal assassin, of AbraHxV.m Lincoln, late 
President of the United States, at a moment when he had attained 
the highest pinnacle of renown, when he had crushed the unholy 
rebellion that for a time threatened to destroy this great and glorious 
Republic, and had proved to the world the practicability and stability 
of democratic institutions and popular sovereignty under the most 
severe trials, when, with charity in his heart towards all, he was 
earnestly inculcating lessons of mercy and magnanimity on the 
part of the victorious people towards their vanquished brethren ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That the members of this Council view the assassination 
of the President, with feelings of mingled horror and detestation as 
a deed without a parallel on the page of history, as a crime against 
hunianity and liberty, and shrouding the name of the perpetrator 
like that of Cain with eternal infamy. 

Resolved, That while we deplore this terrible event as a national 
calamitj*, we are not unmindful of the atHiction of the bereaved 
family of the martyr President, and otler them our most respectful 
sympathy. 

Resolved, That while we feel the full force of the blow that has 
fallen on the nation, we have unswerving faith that the same Divine 
Power which blessed the birth of this great republic, and which has 
guided it through paths of peril and carnage to its latest triumph, 
will conduct it through its present gloom to the enjoyment in the 
future of unclouded glory, greatness and prosperity. 

Resolved, That the charter of the Council be draped in mourning 
for the space of thirty days. 

Chas. Baker, "i 

Chas. Banes, J Committee. 

A. H. Perkinpine. ) 

V. Reese, C, 

Attest, Chas. W. Schaefer, R. S. 



47 



FREDONIA COUNCIL, 

No. 52, 0. U. A. M. 

At a meeting of the above Council, the following Preamble and 
Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, We have heard with deep sorrow that Abraham 
Lincoln, who has filled the position of Chief Magistrate of our nation 
for the past four years, has been stricken down by the hand of a 
midnight assassin, and that by his death we are deprived of the 
services of a noble man, who, by his honesty of purpose and 
goodness of heart has won the respect and esteem of all loyal 
persons, it becomes us as American Mechanics to mourn his loss, 
but while we mourn let us remember that though dead he still 
liveth ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while we feel our hearts stricken with profound 
sorrow, we rest in confident assurance that God doeth all things and 
will still have our beloved country in His holy keeping, and so 
order the issue of this great calamity that we will all see His 
goodness in this terrible event which he has suffered to befall our 
nation. 

Resolved, That we recognize in this atrocious deed the vile spirit 
of the rebellion, and heartily express our hopes that the Government 
will see that the full measures of a righteous retribution be meted 
out to the. instigators and accomplices of this deed of blood. 

Resolved, That in Abraham Lincoln we recognize a true patriot, 
and while memory lasts we will revere him as a second Washington, 
and justly entitled to be placed side by side with the Father of our 
Country. 



48 

Resolved, That we do gympathize with the family of our deceased 
President in their affliction, prayerfully commending them to God 
who has promised to be a father to the fatherless, and a husband 
to the widow. 

Resolved, That we do pray to Almighty God to protect and direct 
his successor, A^dkew Joh^sox, in the discharge of the arduous duties 
devolving upon him, and to give wisdom to his advisors in this dark 
hour of our nation's trouble, and that this cursed rebellion may soon 
be blotted from existence, and that peace and prosperity may once 
again crown our beloved country. 






Isaiah Ahx, 

JoHx Server, \ Committee. 

E. T. Miller, 



Attest, Geo. W. Smith, Rec. Sec. 



49 

SCHUYLKILL COUNCIL, 

No. 56, 0. U. A. M. 

At a meeting of the above Couucil, the following Preamble and 
Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, While rejoicing in the pleasing hopes of peace 
afforded by the successes of the national armies, the American 
Mechanics, in common with their fellow-countrymen, have been 
appalled by the great calamity, which, in the death of the Chief 
Magistrate has overtaken them, that the ruler of a nation who 
derived his high office from inheritance or by appointment, and who 
had used his great trust for the maintenance of the Union, should 
be assassinated by some victim of his power, has not in the history 
of human aflfairs been of rare occurrence ; but it has been reserved 
for this age, so proud of its refinement and its civilization, to 
furnish the only instance of the murder of an executive chosen by 
the suffrages of a free people, and uniting as did the late President, 
a meekness of disposition and loveliness of temper that won the 
affections of all with whom he had to do ; the audacity of such a 
crime is without a parallel, as if it were possible to augment the 
wickedness of his act, the assassin followed it by the cry of sic 
semper tyrannis of one who is not known to have had a personal 
enemy in the land, who is not charged with having inflicted a single 
personal wrong, whose consj)icuous, virtuous and proverbial honesty 
of purpose was endearing him to every heart, and whose only 
doubtful virtue was his leniency to his country's foes ; the country 
looks for any wrong inflicted on the murderer by his victim, but 
looks in vain ; moved by this visitation of Providence, the members 
of Schuylkill Council, No. 56, of United American Mechanics, of 
Philadelphia, in making thiji public expression of the grief which 



50 

pervades all hearts, recommeud to their fellow-mechanics, a renewed 
devotion of themselves and their all, to the safety and perpetuity 
of their beloved country, a hearty and generous support to Andrew 
JoHNSOx, whom it has pleased God to call to administer the affairs of 
the nation, a recollection that the life of its most eminent citizens is 
not an absolute necessity to the great Republic, which cannot, but 
by annihilation, die ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, By Schuylkill Council of Philadelphia, that we bow in 
submission to the dispensations of an all-wise Creator, that the feeble 
efforts of human wisdom are valueless to fathom the great designs of 
God, that faith in His Providence sustains and encourages us to hope 
and firmly believe that his eye is watching, and his hand guiding 
the destinies of our beloved country. 

Resolved, That, though Abraham Lincoln is dead, the principles of 
which he was the honored exponent, still survive him, and that his 
death will serve to cement us in a more determined and united effort 
to subdue the rebellion that has cost us so many valuable lives, and 
the expenditure of so much treasure, culminating in the heinous 
murder of so pure a man, and so excellent a Chief Magistrate. 

Resolved, That the charter and flag be draped in mourning for 
the period of 60 days, and the members wear a badge of mourning 
on their left arm for a period of one month. 



Robert M. Evans, "] 

Thos. F. B. Tapper, ] 

Robert A. Torrence, \ Committee. 

Samuel A. Heins, 

George W. Jenkins. 

John W. Bakcus, C. 
Attest, George W. Heiks,* R. S, 



51 

MAY FLOWER COUNCIL, 

No. 59, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, held April 27, 
ISGS, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, The dastardly and traitorous assassination of our 
beloved Chief Magistrate, Abraham Lincoln, at an hour when the 
nation was rejoicing over successive victories, the prospect of an 
earlj peace, and the hope of a glorious future for this Union, has 
stirred the heart of every loyal man of the nation with unutterable 
anguish ; and, whereas, it becomes all loyal citizens to express their 
utter abhori'ence of a deed so fiendish, so malignant, committed 
upon our illustrious President, whose purity of life, whose integrity 
of principle, and singleness of purpose, with a heart overflowing 
with mercy and the milk of human kindness, had won for him the 
affection of every loyal citizen as well as the most profound 
admiration, even of his enemies ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we deeply deplore the loss of a great and good 
father, whose purity and singleness has secured a place in the hearts 
of his countrymen equal to that held by the Father of his Country ; 
that to his bereaved family and relations we tender our sincere 
sympathy. 

Resolved, That while we mourn the loss of the departed, slain in cold 
blood by the damning hand of an assassin, treason's tool, we take 
this opportunity to express our ' condemnation of any policy of 
conciliation towards the men who have also assassinated our brave 
soldiers by acts of barbarism unparalleled in the history of the 
world, and who have consummated their crowning act of villainy, 
by securing at the hands of that cowardly hireling, John Wilkes 
Booth, the assassination of our noble President, Abraham Lii^coln. 

Resolved, That in respect to the memory of our deceased President, 
Abraham Lixcoln, the hall, banner, flags, and other property of the 
Council be draped in mourning for the space of ninety days. 



Geo. W. Houck, "J 

J. Henry Miller, > Committee. 

J. YOEDY. S 



52 



CARBON COUNTY COUNCIL, 
No. 65, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the ahove Council, held April 25, 
1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God for four years past to 
allow our beloved country to be drenched with patriotic blood and 
filled with mourning widows and weeping children, the result of a 
deep laid conspiracy and wide-spread rebellion against the authority 
of the land and the union of the States ; and, whereas, to all this 
costly offering, so freely and generously laid upon the altar of 
liberty, the nations honored head and leader has been added in 
sacrifice at the instance of treason ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we, with all other loyal citizens, justly appreciating 
the valuable services of our honored and revered Chief Magistrate, 
do deeply deplore his death at the hand of the assassin. 

Resoloed, That while we will ever bear in grateful remembrance 
his wisdom in Council, his faithfulness in labor, his sympathy with 
the suffering, his forgiveness under injuries, we must ever adore 
the goodness and grace of our covenant God and Saviour, who raised 
him to the country in its darkest hour and in its greatest need. 

Resolved, That our Council, in connection with other Councils 
throughout the Union, having entered heartily into co-operation 
with the Government, not only in fighting its battles, but also in 
upholding the supremacy of the laws of the Republic, have ever 
had occasion to rejoice while listening to our sick and wounded 
soldier's expressions of admiration of our late beloved Chief 
Magistrate. 



Resolved, That the widow and orphan children of our departed 
President have our warmest sympathy, and most earnest prayers 
for the blessing of God to rest upon them ; that as they retire from 
the cares and bustle incident to a life in the Capitol of a great nation, 
to find once more a resting place in their Western home, the 
compassionate Saviour would accompany them through the journey, 
and convince their stricken hearts that He can prove more than a 
husband or a father. 

Resolved, That our confidence in the stability of the Government 
is unshaken ; that in the removal of the pilot from the helm, the 
Ship of State is not turned aside from her onward course, provision 
having been wisely made for such a contingency. 

Resolved, That in Andrew Johnson, now President of the United 
States, we discover a tried friend of the Union, an uncompromising 
foe of disloyalty and treason, and that to him shall be transferred 
our confidence, and our prayers. 

Resolved, That in Abraham Lincoln, we have lost one of God's 
noblest works, "an honest man." 



J 



F, H. MoSER, 

Simon Smith, ^ Committee. 

Jacob Sandel. 



Alvin Strauss, C. 
Attest, Jacob Sandel, R, S. 



54 

METAMORA COUNCIL, 

No. 66, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, In the Providence of an all-wise God, Abraham 
LixcoLN, the President of the United States, has been assassinated; 
we, the United Order of American Mechanics, unite with all lojal 
citizens to mourn the death of so good a man, so pure a patriot, so 
firm and efficient a Chief Magistrate ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That Metamox*a Council chamber be draped in mourning 
for six months, as a token of deep sorrow for the national loss, and 
our regard for the many virtues and abilities of our deceased 
President. 

Resolved, That the deep laid plot to assassinate the President, 
Vice President, Secretary of State, and the Commander-in-Chief of 
our armies, has no parallel in the history of this country or in the 
world. 

Resolved, That the American Order sincerely approves all of the 
acts of our lamented President, and the one that will be remembered 
most by their children or unborn generations to come, is when he 
took his pen with one magic, mighty stroke, and signed the great 
Emancipation Proclamation. 

Resolved, That though the greatest, wisest, and best of men may 
fall in our country's cause, our confidence shall be placed in Divine 
Providence who has placed Ar^DREw Johnson at the head of this 
great American nation ; we will rally around him and give his 
Administration of the Government the same generous support i^ 
bringing traitors, assassins, and treason before the great tribunals 
of our land, and punishing them to the full extent of their crimes. 

Resolved, We, therefore, implore Almighty God to protect our 
President and all of our public officers; grant them wisdom and 
courage to administer the laws of the land for the well being of all 
citizens living under our national flag. 

Pliny Porter, "k 

D. C. ScHNADER, V Committee. 

H. E. Hein. J 

Hewhy G. Mdhl, C, Attest, Pliky Porter, R. S. 



55 



MINNEHAHA COUNCIL, 

No. 69, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, It is fitting amid the general outburst of sorrow 
and lamentation heard on every side, that this Council should 
freely express, in common with every truly loyal and patriotic 
organization throughout the land, its sense of the great loss the 
nation has sustained, in the death of its honored and revered Chief 
Magistrate, Abraham Lincolx, foully assassinated by a dastardly 
wretch while successfully endeavoring to re-unite these glorious 
States, riven assunder by the ungrateful hands of Southern traitors; 
and, whereas, by his death we are deprived of the services of a just 
and noble patriot, who, by his honesty, firmness, and patriotism, 
has won the esteem of all true friends of the Union ; we hereby 
express our sorrow for his death, and sympathize with his bereaved 
family for their irreparable loss ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, With the noble deeds of our late Chief Magistrate, the 
friend of liberty and humanity still fresh in our memories, and 
while we bow in humble submission to the will of the Almighty in 
this sorrowful dispensation, we are thankful that he has blessed us 
with the re-union of the States, and pray for strength to sustain 
them in their unity. 

Besolved, That though the voice of Abraham Lincoln shall never 
more be raised in this country's cause, yet his spirit will ever be 
with us to counsel and encourage us to lead the nation in whose 
cause he fell a sacrifice lio soon. 



56 

Resolved, That treason is a curse to any nation and sliould be 
punished with severity, and although they may escape from all 
earthly punishment, they will receive just retribution of God. 

Resolved, That as a mark of respect to his cherished memory, the 
hall of the Council be appropriately draped in mourning for ninety 
days. 

Resolved, That in his Excellency, Andrew Johxson, we recognize 
one whose record proves him worthy to be the successor of the 
illustrious patriot for whom the nation mourns, and we, without 
any hesitation, pledge him our hearty support, believing that to 
firm, strong hands the people may safely commit the duty of 
meting out the justice which is due to the enemies of their country. 



F. J. Adams, 
Edward Gr. Ebling, 
Henry K. Gittelman, 
Amos H. Feger, 
Damel Settley. 



Committee. 



A. H. Feger. C., Pro tem, 

■s 

Lebbeus Homan, R. S. 



57 

EXCELSIOR COUNCIL, 

No. 70, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, In the fell blow which has stricken our nation, in the 
death of our late beloved President, Abraham Lincoln, by the 
violent hand of an assassin, it becomes us, as a body, recognizing 
and adhering to the doctrine of universal freedom, as Americans 
should, to express our heartfelt sorrow at the sudden demise of our 
Chief Magistrate, who, as the author of a State paper, which places 
him at the head of Philanthropists, will be hailed a brother by the 
Christian and civilized world, as well as those who desire the 
advancement of the American Mechanics ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That this Council, in common with their fellow-citizens 
of every creed and complexion, do sincerely mourn the loss of 
Abraham Lincoln, the patriot, statesman, and humanitarian, whose 
broad and expansive views of human freedom, fearlessly carried into 
successful operation drew upon him the enmity of those whose 
hireling tool robbed him of life. 

Resolved, That the sacrifice of Abraham Lincoln will but be 
incentive to all loyal Americans to so firmly adhere to his principles 
and doctrines, that in the coming time, when war has ceased its 
dread alarms, and peace again hovers over the land, a united people 
and a pure Government may be ours, an example to all time of a 
model Republic, and a Christian people. 

Resolved, That the charter of this Council be draped in mourning 
for the space of six months. 

Joseph H. Lambert, G. 
Attest, Thos. C. Robbins, R. S. 



. 58 



HAMBURG COUNCIL, 

No. 74, 0. U. A. M, 

At a meeting of the above Council, held May 13, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, At a time when all hearts were jubilant, from the fact 
that the Constitution and laws had been triumphantly maintained, 
and the glorious prospect of establishing peace and concord 
throughout the length and breadth of our whole country, obtained 
through the blessing of Almighty God, the Supreme Ruler of the 
Universe, and the only potentate we acknowledge to ruje over us as 
a nation ; and, whereas, all hearts were made sad by hearing that 
Abraham Lincoln had fallen by the hands of an assassin ; he upon 
whom the nation has relied through all the dark hours of the 
rebellion, the exalted patriot, the wise, vigilant, and incorruptible 
statesman has been stricken down, causing us to bow with sorrow 
in our hearts, and a nation mourns for her noble son, her second 
Washington is no more ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we as a Council of brethren express our veneration 
of the deceased, and acknowledge the debt of gratitude we, 
in common with our fellow-citizens, owe him, while we deeply 
sympathize with his afflicted family, with his associate rulers, and 
tile defenders of our country. 

Resolved, That we, as a brotherhood, unite in bowing before 
Almighty God, and humbly confess and repent of the sins which 
has brought this great calamity upon us; and we implore Him to 
look in mercy upon us and our nation, and bring us out of our 
troubles; that He will give strength and wisdom to him who is now 
our executive officer, and all who are in authority; that he will 
speedily restore to our nation the blessings of peace and unity, 
sustained by his all-mighty arm, and that He will restrain the wrath 
of man, and cause the remainder thereof to praise Him. 



59 

Resolved, That in oar Leloved President, Abraham Lincoln, we 
recognize a noble ruler, whose heart was so capacious as to embrace 
the wliole human family, who extended his sympathy to all, and 
through a desperate and cruel war, bore aloft the glorious Stars and 
Stripes, trusting in God that they should again float over a united 
people, unsullied, and resplendent with victory. 

Resolved, That having penned the Emancipation Proclamation, 
by which was broken the chains of millions of the human race, 
from the heights of victory he was permitted to behold the land of 
promise, with its beauty and happiness, and the glorious destiny 
reserved for us as a nation. 

Resolved, That we cannot refrain from expressing our heartfelt 
and unceasing thanks to God, who hath given us the victory, through 
just and good rulers, brave and experienced soldiers, in preserving 
us from anarchy and foreign wars ; in giving confidence and conviction 
of right and our duty, enabling us to make so large a sacrifice of 
treasure and blood for the pi-eservation of our national life, and by 
graciously ordering every thing, even our defeats and humiliations, 
that the glory might be given to Him alone. 

Resolved, That we pray the peace of God may reign in the hearts 
of the family of the deceased, that the Lord will bless the widow as 
she bows under a stroke Cwithout his strength^ too great to bear, 
and that he will embrace her in his arms of love, that he will bless 
the children, endow them with wisdom, prepare them for usefulness 
here, and a blessed rest hereafter, that they may appreciate the 
virtues and example of their parent, and follow in his footsteps. 

Resolved, That we venerate our heroes, both civic and military, 
who have fallen in this struggle, and given their blood to maintain 
our Government ; we will remember their great sacrifice, and honor 
their memories, and a grateful country will provide for their widows 
and orphans. 

P. C. Bauji, ^ 

Daniel Saul, > Committee. 

Wjm. D. SnoMO, ) 

Wm. D. SnoMO, 0. Attest, P. C. Baum, R. S. 



60 

JEFFERSON COUNCIL, 

NO. 75, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular meeting of the above Council, held June, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, Almighty God in his wisdom has seen fit to remove 
from us our dearly beloved President, who, by his purity of heart 
and his lofty patriotism, has secured a place in the hearts of his 
countrymen equal to the Father of his country ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while we sincerely lament this fearful deed, a 
deed unknown in the history of this country, a deed without a 
name, that in an unexpected moment, struck down our venerated 
President, Abraham Lincoln, and that has thrown gloom ^d 
sorrow over every loyal heart, and while we sympathize with our 
fellow-citizens, in the severe loss this country has sustained by his 
death, we bow submissively to the inscrutable wisdom of the 
Almighty, knowing that his dispensations are righteous and kind, 
even though they seem to be severe. 

Resolved, That we sympathize deeply with the family in the 
irreparable loss they have sustained. 

Resolved, That treason, armed or unarmed. North or South, 
whereever it may be, should be punished, and righteous 
retribution visited thereon, in vindication of the dignity, power, 
and justice of the country. 

John R. Lear, ^ 

John S. Stem, \ Committee. 

Samuel F. Welden, ) 

Joseph L. Wismek, C. 
Attest, John R. Lear, R. S. 



61 



SPRINGVILLE COUNCIL, 

No. 76, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held April 22, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, It has pleased the Almighty to remove from this life, 
by the hands of an assassin, our Chief Magistrate, Abbaham 
Lincoln, we deem it proper to place on record our estimate of the 
services and character of the illustrious deceased ; and, whereas, we 
are called upon in common with all true Americans and patriots to 
express our profound sorrow and regret on the occasion of this great 
national calamity ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while we humbly bow to the will of Almighty God, 
who, in His Providence worketh all things for good, yet we deeply 
mourn the loss of him, who, by his simplicity of manner and kind 
disposition, has endeared himself to every true American and 
patriot, and who after he had piloted the Ship of State through four 
long years of carnage and strife, and when about to enter the haven 
of peace, was suddenly and violently stricken down without the 
privilege of enjoying the fruits of his enduring patience and fidelity 
to the truest interests of human liberty. 

Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and resolutions be 
forwarded to the Secretary of State Council, to be used by the State 
Council as they see proper. 

David Gr. Wells, ^ 

Wm. H. Coulston, > Committee. 

Daniel M. Scypes. ) 

Fkancis Latbchak, (J. 
Attest, Wm. H. Coulston, R. S. 



62 

SINKING SPRING COUNCIL, 

No. 77, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held May 30, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, In the mysterious providence of God, the late Chief 
Magistrate of the United States has fallen by the hand of an 
assassin ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That whilst we humbly acknowledge that, as a nation, 
we have deserved the chastisement of the Almighty, yet we deeply 
deplore the calamity that has taken Abraham Lincoln from the 
head of this nation, thus removing from us a good, great, 
honest, conscientious, righteous, and intelligent man, whose earnest 
patriotism and sincere devotion to the land he loved so well, has 
won for him the affection and esteem of every true citizen, and has 
compelled the respect, and in some instances, the unwilling homage 
of every nation on earth. 

Resolved, That we are proud to say that Sinking Spring Council, 
No. 77, 0. of U. A. M., of Pa., has never had within its ranks one 
disloyal member, or one who was not willing to lend heart and 
hand and influence to the support of the Grovernment, and that 
henceforth and forever we will not receive or tolerate among us 
any one who shall, in any way, by word or deed, evince a want of 
patriotism, or any unwillingness to give his unqualified support to 
the Administration of rightful authority in this land. 

Resolved, That the noble example of our late President shall 
incite us to emulate liis virtue, to love our country more, to be 
more determined advocates of right and truth, and to purge from 
the various offices of trust and profit under our National or State 
authorities, every man who is not pure, truthful, and competent. 



63 

Resolved, That althoiigli tlie career of Abkaham Lincoln has been 
brought to a sudden close, yet we regard his work fully done; his 
sun has set in glory, and the golden rays of his bright example 
shall long continue to irradiate the hill tops and valleys of our 
entire land. 

Resolved, That we will give our unqualified support to the present 
Administrative, Andeew Johnson, as the exponent of the principles 
of liberty and equality we have ever advocated, and that we will 
transfer to him the allegiance we gave to his illustrious predecessor, 
and which is due to the Chief Magistrate of this great nation. 

Resolved, That the charter be draped in mourning for the space 
of one year, in memory of the deceased. 



C. N. Hoffman, M. D., ^ 

John Gruig, v Committee. 

Nicholas Yocum, S 



64 



ARAMINGO COUNCIL, 

No. 78, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, held 
April, 24, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were 
Tinanimouslj adopted: 

Whereas, The great God in His unerring wisdom, has permitted 
the Chief Magistrate of the nation to be stricken down in death by 
the hand of an assassin, whilst we submit without a murmur 
against the decree of an all-wise Providence, we are moved by the 
character of the man to give expression to the love we felt for him 
whilst living, and the veneration we entertain for his memory, now 
dead ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That by the death of Abraham Lincoln, the country 
has lost a wise ruler and pure patriot, a man honest, kind and true, 
and in whose life and cTiaracter were combined those qualities of 
head and heart, in such eminent degree as to mark him as the 
best type among the representative Americans of the present age. 

Resolved, That the charter and regalia of the Council be shrouded 
in mourning for six months, and that the foregoing preamble and 
resolutions be entered upon our journal as part of the proceedings. 

Walter S. Hartley, 

James Gill, \ Committee. 

Samuel Bower. 

Attest, Samuel Bower, S, 



65 



ASHLAND COUNCIL, 

No. bl, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, held May 
4, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, It is fitting, amid the general outburst of sorrow and 
lamentation heard on every, side, that this Council should express, 
in common with every other truly loyal organization throughout 
the land, its deep sense of the irreparable loss our country has 
sustained ; Therefore, be it-<^ 

Resolved, That while we bow to the mandates of Almighty God, 
who, in his infinite wisdom, has seen fit to remove from our midst 
our beloved President, Abraham Lincoln, the Chief Magistrate of 
the United States, who, after piloting our country through four 
years of suffering and trials, was aboat to reap his reward in the 
prospect of a speedy and lasting peace ; when, by the hands of a 
cowardly and bloody assassin, he was stricken down, and thus 
passed from time into eternity. 

Resolved, That we deplore the event that has removed him from 
us, and from the head of the nation, as a calamity as great in its 
consequences as it is unprecedented in its character ; a country 
rescued from the hands of traitors who had confederated together 
for its overthrow; we may well mourn his loss, his goodness of 
heart and firmness of character, conjoined with his great abilities, 
renders his loss one that fills our hearts with sadness and veils the 
future with clouds and darkness. 



66 

BesolveiJ, Thit we horeb}^ pledge to his successor in office, Andrew 
Johnson, the new Chief Magistrate of the nation, our full support 
and co-operation in bringing to a speedy conclusion this unnatural 
war, and we express the belief that nothing short of stern and 
unrelenting justice should be meted out to the leaders of this 
rebellion ; and we moreover pledge to him and his Administration 
all the support that loyalty and patriotism can bestow, in order that 
our country may speedily and safely be brought through the trials 
that may await her. 

Resolved^ That with the lifeless remains of this noblest martyr to 
liberty and humanity still fresh in our view, we solemnly declare it 
to be our belief that treason having defied the laws of God 
and man, until mercy and clemency #ias ceased to be a virtue, 
henceforward every one of our country should call for justice. 

Resolved, That though the voice of Abraham Lincoln shall never 
more be raised in his country's defence, yet his spirit will be with 
us to counsel and encourage, guide and protect, leading the nation 
in whose cause he fell a sacrifice so soon, to pass the furnace blast, 
purged of its base alloy ; advancing step by step to that proud 
position and destiny which the prophetic eyes of our martyred 
father so plainly foreshadowed, and so ardently longed for. 

Re<iolved, That the charter of this Council be draped in mourning 
for the space of six months, and that these resolutions be recorded 
on the minutes of this Council. 

.Joseph H. Trexler, 

R. J. SiiiKiNS, y Committee. 

Wm. a. Hillman. 

Martin Reiff. C. 
Attest, R. J. SiMKiNS, R. S. 



67 

SEMINOLE COUNCIL, 

No. 88, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of tlie above Council, held April 21, 
1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, It is fitting, amid the general outburst of sorrow and 
lamentation heard on every side, that this Council should express, 
in common with every truly loyal organization throughout the land, 
its deep sense of the loss the nation has sustained in the death of its 
honored and revered Chief Magistrate, Abraham Lincoln, foully 
assassinated while dealing mercy to the ingrates who had sought to 
destroy a Government which had ever nourished and protected them, 
and who, with a fiendish malignity, through the dastardly blow 
of one of their own number, have now laid him low in death ; and> 
whereas, it is eminently becoming, not only to pay a tribute due to 
the memory of our lamented Chief Magistrate, but also, to express 
our utter abhorrence and detestation of this dastardly crime ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we have no words capable of expressing the grief, 
the horror, and the indignation, that filled our hearts when we heard 
of the assassination of our beloved President ; and that even now, 
we cannot fully realize the calamity that has befallen our country, 
but feel assured that many years must elapse, before the American 
Mechanics will cease to mourn the loss of Abkauam Lincoln. 

Resolved, That we tender our heartfelt sympathy to his bereaved 
family, commending them to seek consolation at the Throne of Grace, 
whereat all may find the healing balm, in every time of trouble. 



08 

liesolved, That as a mark of vesppct to his cherished memory, we 
wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days. 

Resolved, That we pledge our hearty support to our present Chief 
Magistrate, Andrew Johnsox, in all his efforts to promote the 
welfare of our common country. 



Jno. R. Hoffmaster, 

A. Frees, ^ Committee. 

Wm. Keller, 



■1 



George Feather, C. 
Attest, Chas. B. Wells, R. S. 



69 



ENCOURAGEMENT COUNCIL, 

No. 89, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, held on 
Monday Evening, May 22, 18G5, the following Preamble and 
Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, In the untimely death of the late Chief Magistrate of 
the United States, Abraham Lincoln, we have been deprived of a 
pure patriot, an able statesman, and the noblest work of God, an 
honest man ; and, whereas, under the blessings of Providence, we 
recognize in Abraham Lincoln, the redeemer of his country, in the 
hour of its extremest need ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That the murder of Abraham Lincoln has placed on 
the roll of the noble army of martyrs to freedom, a name, than 
which, none is more honored, a firm patriot, a wise counselor, a just 
ruler, a kind judge, "an honest man, the noblest work of God. " 

Resolved, That, while we bow to the mandate of Almighty God, 
who doeth all things well, yet we deeply mourn the loss of him, who 
by his simplicity of manner, and loving kindness, had endeared 
himself to every true American heart ; and who, after he had guided 
the Ship of State through four long years of terrible storm, and 
when about to enter the haven of peace, was suddenly stricken 
down, before he could enjoy the fruits of his enduring patience, and 
lasting fidelity to the truest interests of human liberty. 

A. C. Sellers, ) 

Isaac V/alp, > Committee. 

F. J. Haus, y 

John F. V/alp, G. 



Attest, Isaac Walp, R. S. 



70 



ANGELICA COUNCIL, 

No. 91, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, held May 24, 
18C5, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, Our Chief Magistrate, Abraham Likcolx, was basely- 
murdered by a cowardly assassin; and, whereas, it becomes all loyal 
citizens to express their utter abhorrence of a deed so fiendish, and 
so malignant, committed upon our illustrious President, and at an 
hour when the nation was rejoicing over succesive victories, and the 
prospect of an early peace; Therefore, be it. 

Resolved, That while we, the members of Angelica Council, No. 
91, 0. U. A. M., in common with others, sincerely lament this 
fearful deed, a deed unknown in the history of this country, a deed 
without a name, which in an unexpected moment, struck down our 
President, Abraham Lincoln, and which has thrown gloom and 
sadness over every loyal heart. While we sympathize ;vith our 
fellow-citizens, in the loss this country has sustained by his death, 
we bow submissively to the will and wisdom of that Divine Power, 
knowing that His decrees are righteous and kind. 

Resolved, That in respect to the memory of our deceased President, 
our charter shall be draped in mourning, until the fourth day ot 
July, 1865. 



Wa. Knauer, "^ 

A. E. Weitzel, > Committee. 

Reuben T. Gring. ) 

\ 



71 



UNION COUNCIL, 

No. 102, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, It pleased God on the eve of our national triumph, to 
permit Abraham Lincoln to be assassinated at the commencement 
of his second Presidential term ; and, whereas, it is proper that all 
American organizations should express the deep sympathy and 
sorrow which pervades the land ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That the members of Union Council, No. 102, of the 
Order of United American Mechanics, deeply deplore the loss of our 
honored President, Abraham Lincoln, and sincerely condole with 
his weeping widow, orphaned children, and bereaved countrymen. 

Resolved, That as patriots loving our country, and desiring the 
promotion of the greatest good for the greatest number, we feel 
that the loss of that great and good man is irreparable, but trust 
that his martyred blood may prove to be the seed of a mighty 
power in the land, which shall make liberty and union, one and 
inseparable, now and forever. 

Jos. H. NUNGESSER, ^ 

JosiAH BoLTEN, > Committee. 

Isaac Markley. S 



Wm. Custer, (7. 
Attest, Andrew B. Yerger, R. S. 



72 

LYKENSTOWN COUNCIL, 

No. 112, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held April 25, 1S65, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, The traitorous assassination of our beloved President, 
Abraha3i Lixcolx, at an hour wheu the nation was jubilant over 
successive victories, the prospect of an early and lasting peace, and 
the bright hope of a great and glorious future for our country, has 
filled the hearts of all true and loyal men with horror at the 
depravity of man, as shown forth in the character of the assassin, 
and grief at the only too successful issue of the heU-born plots of a 
traitorous clique ; and, whereas, it becomes us as loyal citizens 
whether individually or collectively, to express abhorrence at a deed, 
so dark and so malignant ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That while, we sincerely lament this fearful atrocity, a 
deed unknown in the past history of our beloved country, that in an 
unexpected moment, while surrounded by friehds, and all seemed 
propitious for a glorious and long future of peace and prosperity, 
struck down our venerated Chief Magistrate, Abraham Lixcolx, 
and has thrown gloom and sadness broadcast over the land : and 
while we sympathize with his bereaved family, and our fellow 
sufferers in this our country's loss, we bow in humble submission 
to the wisdom of Him who doeth all things well, though his 
dispensations seem to us severe. 

Resolved, That we place the foregoing preamble and resolutions 
on the records of this Council, and that we forward a copy to the 
State Council of Pennsylvania, for publication, a copy of the same 
to be sent to the bereaved family of our late President; and that 
the charter of this Council be draped in mourning for one year. 



Daxiel Miller, "1 

Jahes L. Yoder > Committee. 

JoxAS Garmox. j 



73 



NEVERSINK COUNCIL, 

No. 127, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Council, held June 12, 1865, the 
following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, The Chief Magistrate of the United States has been 
stricken down by the hands of a cowardly and infamous assassin, 
in the hour of the nation's triumph and national goodwill ; at a 
moment when he had attained the highest pinnacle of renown, when 
he had crushed the unholy rebellion, that for a time threatened to 
destroy this great and glorious Republic ; at a time when peace 
seemed about to crown his work with success, after years of anxious 
effort, toil, and labor ; Therefore, be it— 

Resolved, That the nation, by the death of our late President, 
Abraham Lincoln, has lost a noble patriot, a wise statesman, a 
friend of humanity, a glorious leader, and a true citizen, whose loss 
we most deeply mourn. 

Resolved, That the great principle of the unity of the Republic, 
which has been defended and maintained by the offering of so much 
suffering and blood, is rendered forever sacred by this sacrifice of the 
chosen head of the nation, at the moment of its permanent triumph. 

Resolved, 'Hiat we feel the full force of the blow that has fallen on 
the nation, and have unswerving faith that the same Divine Power 
which blessed the birth of this great Republic, and has guided it 
through paths of peril and carnage to its latest triumph, will conduct 
it through its present gloom, to the enjoyment, in the future, of 
unclouded glory and greatness 



74 



Resolved, Tliat as a leader in a revolution, (which he had not 
made, J he adhered as closely to the law, as that revolution permitted. 
In disaster, he was undismayed ; in success, sober : in the presence 
of provocation, moderate ; and in the hour of victory, merciful. 

Resolved, That we have the fullest confidence in the character and 
ability of our new President, and pledge ourselves to support him 
to the full extent of our power and influence so that the guilty may 
be brought to justice, with all the majesty and severity of the law. 

Resolved, That we tender to the family of the deceased, our 
heartfelt sympathy in their deep affliction. 

Resolved, That in commemoration of the deceased, our flag be 
draped in mourning for the space of six months. 



John H. Sell, 1 

Jno. M. Schonour, > Committee. 

Charles -P. Moyer. ^ 



C. B. Fisher, G. 
Attest, J. T. Stam, R, S. 



75 



QUAKERTOWN COUNCIL, 

No. 149, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, Our late President, Abraham Lincoln, has fallen 
beneath the blow of a cowardly assassin, stricken down at a period 
when his magnanimity and exalted statesmanship had raised the 
country from the depression caused by four years of bloody war, to 
a period when the smiling path of peace and plenty was clearly 
brought to view. He has fallen, and the tears of millions of free 
born Americans water his grave ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That in the death of Abraham Lincoln, the country 
has lost a great and good man, one prompted by the purest and best 
motives, ever solicitous for the best interests of the whole American 
people, and whose life has been enlisted in the cause of liberty and 
union. 

Resolved, That while words but feebly express our deep sorrow, 
we tender to the American nation, and his grief stricken family, our 
sympathy in this their hour of great bereavement, and we pray 
Almighty Glod to avert further calamity from this nation, and to 
sustain and comfort the sorrowing widow and fatherless children. 

P. L. Benner, 1 
• C. S. Wolff, V Committee. 

John Wolff. } 

Enos p. Neese, G, 

Attest, Milton G. Reitek, R. S. 



76 



NORTHERN LIBERTIES DEGREE COUNCIL, 

No. 1, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Degree Council, held 
May 12, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, The Almighty Ruler, in His inscrutable wisdom, has 
permitted our nation to be afflicted by the death of Abraham Lincoln, 
President of the United States, who was foully mui'dered by the bullet 
of the stealthy assassin at his back, in a moment of unsuspecting 
leisure and relaxation from his protracted duties, under circumstances 
of peculiar and aggravated atrocity ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we feel it a duty, as Americans and as men, to 
express and put upon record our abhorrence of the deed, so new and 
unimagined in our history, and so foul a blot upon the age and 
human nature. 

Resolved, That in the death of President LI^xoLx, the nation mourns 
a patriotic leader, a wise counsellor, and a kind hearted friend and 
father, whose many virtues, public and private, had commanded 
the esteem and confidence of his fellow men in a degree rarely 
equalled : the friend of mankind, he fell, a martyr to his honest and 
enlightened convictions of right. 

Resolved, That though never mortal had so many and such sincere 
mourners, we are consoled by the knowledge that he died in the 
hour of victory: a kind Providence had permitted him to witness the 
triumph of the wondrous old Flag he revered, and the Union he 
loved. 



77 

Resolved, That an injury aimed at the President is a deadly blow 
struck at the majority of the people, making it the personal duty of 
every one to do whatsoever he can to hunt down the miscreants and 
bring them to justice, as far as human justice is commensurate with 
such a crime. 

Resolved, That we view the act of his assassination, coui3led with 
the murderous attempt upon the life of the Hon. Secretary of State, 
William H. Sewakd, in his own house and sick room, and the 
undoubted design to include the Vice President and other high 
officers of the government in a general massacre, as part and parcel 
of the accursed rebellion, now happily suppressed; and giving the 
finishing seal of infamy to it through all time. 

Resolved, That we tender our condolence and sympathy to the 
afflicted widow and her children : we claim them as the wards of the 
people, and may God afford them that consolation which none other 
can. 

Resolved, That we tender our sympathy to tne ffon. William H. 
Sewaed, our great statesman, in his personal and family afiliction. 

Resolved, That we have full confidence in the ability aud patriotism 
oi President Johnson, and regard him as a man, tried and true, who 
had the esteem and confidence of his great and lamented predecessor. 

Resolved, That the charter frame be draped in mourning for the 
space of six nionthe. 

James N. Calely, "I 

Wm. F EASTER, I 

Wm. Young, > Committee. 

Chas. S. Obekteuffek, | 
Thos. C. Robcins. J 

Attest, Wm. M. Weckerly, R. S. 



78 



UNITED STATES DEGREE COUNCIL, 

No. 3, 0, U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Degree Council, held this Friday 
Evening, April 28, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions 
were read and unanimously adopted ; 

Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God, in his all-wise Providence, 
to summon hence, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, 
and while we bow with reverence and humility to this manifestation 
of the will of Almighty Grod, we deem it our duty to join in the 
general expression of the sorrow all feel in the loss the nation sustains 
at the hands of the dastard assassin; and, whereas, the deplorable 
manner of his death, occurring as it did at a juncture, when victory 
had everywhere crowned our arms, and the fruition of his hopes so 
near at hand, adds to the poignancy of our grief, more especially 
when we remember how much of all that was accomplished was due 
to him alone, whom earth will see no more. During four long years, 
through good and evil report, he was the pilot whose steady hand 
controlled the helm of State ; by his sterling honesty of purpose, 
and genuine kindness of nature, all soon learned to respect him, an d 
many to love him, as one whose whole soul was aglow with the one 
pervading object, namely, the union of these States ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That in Abraham Lincoln, as displayed in his public as 
well as his private life, we recognize a noble exemplar of the principles 
of our afBliations. As an apostle to freedom, he sealed his devotion 
with his blood, and weeping millions bless his name ; to friendship 
he was firm and true, and held out mercy to his enemies. 



79 

Resolved, That we promise our cordial and hearty support to the 
new incumbent of the Presidential Chair, and uncompromising 
lojalty to the Government which still exists. 

Resolved, That the widow and orphan children of our lamented 
President have our warmest sympathy, and we would commend 
them to the tender care of Him, who doeth all things well, and 
whose ways are inscrutable. 

^ 'Resolved, That the charter frame of this Degree Council be draped 
in mourning for the space of ninety days, in memory of the honored 
dead. 

John Marsh, ^ 

Sam. G. Mactagde, J Committee. 

James Plummer. J 



Jo^^athan W. Meaes, Jr., D. C, 
Attest, Edw. a. Phillips, R, S. 



80 



INDEPENDENCE DEGREE COUNCIL, 

Ko. 7, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Degree Council, the following 
Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: 

WuEREAS, By the inscrutable decree of an all-wise Providence, 
our beloved Chief Magistrate was removed in the midst of the nation's 
triumph, by the dastardly hand of an hired assassin ; and, whereas, 
he was stricken down by the same power which had ineffectually 
attempted the life of the nation ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, That we will ever hold in abhorrence and detestation, 
that principle which seeks to degrade labor, by making merchandize 
of human behigs. 

Resolved, That as he was sacrificed for his devotion and eflForts to 
promote the dignity, liberty, and equality of labor, we will ever 
revere his memory as the world's apostle of freedom. 

Resolved, That we will emulate the virtues he displayed as an 
.American Mechanic, that we will strive to practice his honesty of 
purpose, his iudustrious habits, and his zeal, and earnestness in 
promoting the welfare of his race. 



EN > 

Bexj. Babb/ ' r^^^^^^^^- 



Attest, Francis Mellex, R. S. 



81 

LEXINGTON DEGREE COUNCIL, 

No. 16, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Degree Council, held May 8, 1865, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, Almight}^ God in his wise Providence has permitted 
Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, to be slain by 
the hand of an assassin, at a time when the nation was rejoicing in 
the success that had been granted to the armies of the United States 
over the forces of rebellion ; Therefore, be it-^ 

Resolved, That this Council has heard with feelings of unutterable 
horror and grief of the assassination of our beloved Chief Magistrate, 
Abraham Lincoln, who was stricken down in the midst of a career 
of usefulness and honor, a sacrifice to the malignant passions of a 
wicked rebellion ; we have recognized in him a chosen leader, by 
Divine Providence, to lead the nation safely through the storms and 
tumult of civil war and bitter strife, and now, when we are about 
to reach the long wished-for haven of peace, union, and freedom, it 
is with anguish no words can describe that we hear that our good 
and noble President has been taken away by the hand of brutal 
violence, the martyred patriot of the Republfc. 

Resolved, That whilst the hero, the patriot, has thus been taken 
away, we will cherish his name as the emblem of all that is pure and 
honest in human character, of all that is godilke in man : and as 
the ages roll by, the name of Abraham Lincoln will stand side 
by side with Washington, the representative man of American 
institutions. 

Resolved, That we feel profoundly thankful to an all-wise Providence 
that has overruled the murderous designs of the assassin in his 
attempts on the life of the Hon. William H. Seward, and that this 
government and people will continue as heretofore to receive the 
benefit of his wise, prudent, and patriotic counsels. 

Resolved, That in the hour of national calamity and grief, we rely 
with confidence on the integrity, ability, and patriotism of Andrew 
Johnson, of Tennessee, and hope and believe that he will prove a 
worthy successor of the immortal Abraham Lincoln. 

Engelsert Geiger, ) 
Wm. Styers, D. C. • H. E. Hein, V Committee. 

H. E. Hein. R. S. Jeremiah Kline. ) 



82 

illSING SPRING DEGREE COUNCIL, 

No. 19, 0. U. A. M. 

At a regular stated meeting of the above Degree Council, the 
following Preamhle and Resolutions were adopted: 

Whereas, God in his wise but mysterious Providence has permitted 
a traitor and assassin to take the life of Abraham Lincoln, President 
of the United States, when in the height of his glory, when the 
hearts of his people were turned towards him in love, gratitude, and 
confidence, when to all appearance the continuance of his existence 
to the nation was most necessary, as he seemed to be on the eve of 
accomplishing his glorious work of reuniting the states for ever. 

Whereas, It is becoming and right that Rising Spring Degree 
Council, No. 19, 0. of U. A. M.. should in a public manner express 
their sentiments in regard to this great national calamity and to 
manifest, in such a manner as may be deemed proper, their sense of 
the loss wliich the whole country has suffered ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved^ That great and apparently irreparable as has been the 
loss of the people of the United States by the death of our late Chief 
Magistrate, we bow in submission to the will of the Lord of Lords 
and King of Kings, and desire that we may be enabled ever to bear 
in mind that God is all -wise as well as all-merciful ; that if He has 
now grievously afliicted this nation. He has also greatly bles&ed it in 
the times of our fathers as well as in these latter days ; that it was 
He who raised the great and wise and good Lincoln to be our 
President, and that it was He also who removed him from his high 
and responsible position ; that it was the Lord who gave and the 
Lord who has taken away. 

George N. Peifer, \ 

Henry M. Heffner, > Committee, 

C. N. Hoffman. ) 



CONESTOGA DEGREE COUNCIL, 

No. 20, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Degree Council, held May 1, 1865, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, It has been permitted by an inscrutable and overruling 
Providence, that our lamented President should fall by the hand of 
an assassin, a martyr to the upholding and preservation of our 
■beloved Union, and proclaiming universal liberty throughout the 
land ; Therefore, be it — 

Resolved^ That while we bow in humble submission to the Divine 
will of Him who judgeth all things aright, we, with every true and 
loyal lover of our common country, feel the mournful privilege of 
sorrowing for the loss of so great and good a man. 

Resolved, That in the death of so humane and patriotic a President, 
our nation is deprived of one of its brightest and purest ornaments, 
inasmuch as he was so eminently led and guided by the golden rule 
of justice and mercy to all. 

Resolved, That we iu unison with the sentiments of the community 
in which we live, do hereby tender our heartfelt sympathy to his 
bereaved family, with a trustful assurance that he has received the 
reward of the righteous man. 

Resolved, That the charter of this Council be draped in mourning 
for the space of ninety days, and that the above resolutions be 
entered upon the journal of the Council. 

Jacob Weitzel, "^ 

Wm. p. 0. Bryon, > Committee. 

E. E. Snyder, ) 

W. T. Clark, D. C. 
Attest, Edwin E. Snyder, R. S, 



84 



UNION DEGREE COUNCIL, 

No. 22, 0. U. A. M. 

At a stated meeting of the above Degree Council, held May 5, 1865, 
the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Whereas. We have learned with profound regret the dastardly 
and traitorous assassination of our beloved Chief Magistrate, Abraham 
LixcoLN, at an hour when the nation was rejoicing over successive 
victories of an early peace, and the hope of a glorious future for the 
Union ; and when, after four years of mild and gentle governing, he 
had gained the love and confidence of all true and loyal people 

Whereas, By his death we are deprived of the services of a great 
and good man, who by his clear judgment, simplicity, kindness, 
patriotism, honesty of purpose, goodness of heart, and statesmanship, 
combined with other purposes, which eminently fitted him to 
administer the affairs of the nation; it therefore becomes us as 
American citizens to express our admiration of his virtues, our deep 
sorrow for his death, and our sympathy with his bereaved family ; 

Therefore, be it — 

Resolved, Tliat though called from among us ere he had witnessed 
the full consummation of his hopes and labors, yet we rejoice to 
know that he was permitted to see the dawn of a new era of liberty 
and union for his country, after a long night of darkness, oppression, 
and gloom. 

Resolved, That with the lifeless remains of this noblest martyr to 
liberty and humanity still fresh to our view, we solemnly declare it 
to be our belief, that treason liaving defied the laws of God and 
man, until even the mercy and clemency shown to the traitors has 
ceased to be virtue, heu'ceforward,' every patriot of his country 



85 

should call for justice on the miscreants who, with the vilest 
ingratitude, have so long ignored, insulted, and defied the Union, 
to whose blood and treasure they owe all of prosperity they have 
ever attained ; and who, with the arms and means unblushingly 
stolen from the power to whose indulgence they were indebtad, have 
so often vaunted their ability to dissolve the Union, in the blood of 
its bravest defenders. 

Resolved, That we dfeem the assassination of Abraham Lincoln- 
the legitimate fruit of the secession sympathies of disloyal men and 
women in our midst, and we believe " the time has come" when all 
such base ingrates should be held to a strict accountability for their 
sentiments. 

Resolved, That we will ever cherish his memory with grateful and 
lasting remembrance ; having always regarded him as the father of 
the people, and the true representative of all that was noble and 
manly in the American character, and one of ^od's noblest works — 
an honest man. 

Resolved, That we greatly sympathize with the family of our much 
beloved and now deceased President, in their affliction ; prayerfully 
commending them to the God of all grace and comfort. 

Resolved, That our Council Chamber be shrouded in mourning for 
the space of six months, and a copy of the foregoing preamble and 
resolutions be copied on our minutes. 

Wm. F. Eckhardt, "] 

Geo. Hartzell, ■ j 

B. GiFFORD, i Committee. 

Benj. F. Brown, 1 

John T. Siner. J 



Attest Geo. Hartzell, 7?, S. 



86 

Extracts from the Annual Report of the State Council of Penn^a, to 
the National Council, for the year, ending June 30, 1865. 

Receipts of subordinates during the year . . . $52,708.62 

Percentage received by State Council during the year . 1^777.31 
Amount of money paid by subordinates for benefits and 

relief during the year 18,059.29 

Amount of money in treasuries of subordinates, June 

30, 1865 . . : 102,497.21 

Receipts of Widows and Orphans Fund during the year 3,851.25 

Relief paid to widows and orphans " " 1,556.40 

Amount of Widows and Orphans Fund . . . 12,261,77 

No. of widows of deceased Brothers .... 303 

** orphans " " .... 613 

Extract from State Council Constitution, Article X. 

Sec. 1. All white males, born in the United States of North 
Ameiica, or its Territories, or under the protection of its flag, shall 
be eligible to membership, provided they are of good moral character 
and are not rendered ineligible by the Constitution or By-Laws of a 
subordinate Council ; but each and every Council shall be the judge 
of the qualifications of its own members. 

Sec. 2. All applications for charters must be addressed to the 
State Council Secretary, signed by at least ten persons, accompanied 
with the fee for Charter, and $1 for obligation-book to be furnished 
by the Secretary ; and shall be in the following form, viz. : 

To the C, V. C, Officers and Members of the State Council of 
Pennsylvania, 0. U. A. M. 

■ The undersigned, inhabitants of , believing the Order of 

United American Mechanics to be well calculated to promote the 
interests of American Mechanics and Workingmen, respectfully 

petition the State Council of , to grant them a Charter lo open 

a new Council, to be called Council, No. — , of United 

American Mechanics of the State of ■ , to be located at , 

and under your jurisdiction. 

Enclosed is the Charter Fee, $10. 

■J'he occupations and ages of the applicants, and the State in which 
they were born, must be placed opposite their names, and if there 
be any who are members of the Order, the name of the Council to 
which they belong must be stated. 



87 

Sec. 7. Upon an application of seven members of a disbanded 
Council, or a Council whose charter has been forfeited, with such 
new applicants as they may obtain, the charter of such Council may 
be restored by the Board of Officers or the S. C. when in session. 
They shall receive the property delivered to the S. C. at the time of 
its dissolution, and shall be required to pay any charges that may 
be on the books of S. C. against such disbanded Council. 

Extract from the Constitution of the National Council, giving the 
objects of the Order. 

Sec. 1. The objects of this Order shall be : 

1st. To assist each other in obtaining employment. 

2d. To encourage each other in business, 

3d. To establish a sick and funeral fund. 

4th. To establish a fund for the relief of Widows and Orphans of 
deceased members. 

5th. To aid members, who, through Providence, may become 
incapacitated from following their usual occupation, in obtaining 
situations suitable to their afflictions. 

Sec. 2. The objects of this Order shall not be altered, unless 
proposed in writing at a previous Stated meeting, and a copy of the 
said alteration shall be transmitted to each member of this body, and 
if adopted, the alteration shall be submitted to the members of the 
Order for a vote thereon, and if approved by a majority, the 
alteration shall become part of this Constitution. 

Officers of State Council, 1864—1865. 
S. C— H. E. Hein, of No. 66. 
S. V. C— Wm. Feaster, of No. 28. 
■ Jr. Ex. S. C— James N. Calely, of No. 45. 
S. C. Sec— Wm. M. Weckerly, of No. 36. 
S. C. Treas. — John Krider, of No. 44. 
S. C. Ind.— Walter T. Clark, of No. 8. 
S. C. Ex.— EdwixX E- Snyder, of No. 8. 
S. C. Pro.— E. P. ToMKiNS, of No. 10. 
Representatives to National Council. 
Bethuel Gifford, of No. 15. Christian Sharer, of No. 9. 

Wm. M. Weckerly, of No. 36. 



DEPUTY STATE COUNCILLORS. 



Philadelpliia, 

1st Dist. 

2.1 Dist. 

3cl Dist. 

4th Dist. 

5th Dist. 

Gth Dist. 

7th Dist. 

8th Dist. 
' 0th Dist. 

10th Dist. 

11th Dist. 
Allegheny Co. 
Berks Co. 
Bucks Co. 
Carbon Co. 
Chester Co. 
Cumberland. 
Dauphin Co. 
Lancaster Co. 
Lebanon Co. 
Luzerne Co. 
Montgomery. 
Korthampton. 
Perry Co. 
Schuylkill Co. 



1864. 

J.W. Mears, Jr.,ofNo.7. 
John S. Hemphill, ' ' 43. 

W. V. Griffith, " 42. 

J. H. Lambert " 70. 

W. H. Nicholas, " 15. 

W. W. Shepherd, '♦ 10. 

G. D. Bender, " 24. 

Wm. Wilkey, " 40. 

James Yocum, " 50. 

Wm. Craig, " 52. 

Jos. Weiss, " 4. 

S. P. Collins, " 49. 

Wm. D. Shomo, " 74. 

Wm. H. Dengler, '' 149. 

Jacob Sandel, '• 65. 

JohnW. Quigg, " 27. 

Theo. Willetts, " 3. 

Dan'l Woodside, " 112. 

E. E. Snyder, " 8. 



Wm. C. Fauber, 



)9. 



Wm. Custer, " 102. 

Chas. E. Transue, " 89. 

Jos. W. Fleming, " 57. 

Jacob D. Rice, " 55. 



1865. 
S. Steinmetz, of No. 32. 

Gilbert Cams, '' 14. 

H. H. Haynes, " 19. 

A. E. Eldredge, " 11. 

Wm. Neill, " 9. 

Goldson Test, " 38. 

John Campman " 24. 
re-appointed. 

Jno. Saunders, " 50. 

J. A. Sloan, «' 52. 

Leonard S. Hart, ' ' 4. 
re-appointed. 

D. G. Schoener, " 46. 

John R. Lear, ** 75. 
re-appointed. 

D. M. Scypes, " 76. 
re-appointed. , 

John Feltz, " 35. 
re-appointed. 

J. E. Dougherty, " 59. 

F. Lauderburn, " 95. 

G. W. Hallman, " 18. 
W.W. Cottingham, 13. 
Jno. A. Baker, ♦' 33. 
re-appointed. 



All information in reference to the institution of new Councils in 
Pennsylvania or in sister States, will be cheerfully given, if inquiry 
is made of Wm. M. Weckerly, S". C. Sec'y, U. A. M. Hall, N. E. cor. 
4th and. George Sts., Philadelphia. 



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